An immediate success when the play was first produced in 1922, Alan Aykbourn revived this Aldwych farce for the National Theatre in the mid 1980s. While the very British comedy is stylistically a product of its flapper-era period, it has current-day resonance in the Allington family's very own private credit crunch. With bills mounting, creditors threatening and no obvious way to avoid imminent bankruptcy, Aubrey and Louise Allington are overjoyed to learn that they have inherited a large fortune from Aubrey's estranged brother who has recently died in Alaska. Joy quickly turns to the realisation that even the tons of money promised by the droll solicitor Chesterman (Eric Richard) will only go so far as to pay off their debts, leaving nothing to support their upper middle class, country-house lifestyle. So, the first of several plans is hatched by the scheming Louise, involving Aubrey's accidental death and the resurrection of his cousin George Maitland, who is believed to have died while in Mexico.
       Impersonations (involving false beards and dodgy accents), a nymphomaniac "widow" (identifying no less than three different men as her long-lost husband by their passionate kisses), feigned amnesia, a deaf (though cynically sharp) aunt, scheming servants, mistimings, misunderstandings and cartoonishly large props including topiary ducks - all play their part in making a very silly and far-fetched story come to life. Every actor in this high-energy production pulls his or her weight, with the larger-than-life Mark Curry deserving special mention for his buffoonish portrayal of Aubrey.
       While some jokes fell flat with the Richmond Theatre's relatively sedate audience, there are plenty of laughs arising from the pure absurdity of some of the situations. An easy suspension of disbelief, by both the audience and characters, is essential. While it's not at the level of, for instance, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, the two plays do share some comic similarities. Physical humour and sight gags abound in a deft production directed by Joe Harmston.
Chris Brody