Review: The Phoenix Theatre Company, Caught on the Hop
10:50am Thursday 26th January 2012 in News By Kat Dibbits
Caught on the Hop
Phoenix Theatre Company
Chorley Old Road Methodist Church
Until tomorrow
Tickets £7. To book, ring 01204 840448 or 01204 696381
IT'S surprising what goes on behind closed curtains in the suburbs, as this tangled farce reveals.
Incurable romantic Phil has a bad habit of falling in love with girls on buses, but when he announces to his friend George that he intends to divorce his wife Maggie and marry his latest crush his pal is understandably dubious of the plan, especially when Phil casually tells him that it is down to him to inform Maggie... while he moves in with new flame Julie next door.
Of course, life isn’t quite as simple as Phil thinks it is and plenty of confusion, lots of mistaken identities and a minor conflagration follow.
Geoff Millard is outstanding as Phil, giving a performance that makes the ageing lothario strangely hard to dislike. The interplay between Phil and George provides the funniest moments of the play, with Millard and Marc Lyth bouncing off each other, Lyth’s reactions to his friend’s plight are alternately dolorous and amused.
The actresses in the cast all do excellent bemused expressions, which is lucky as the plot is convoluted to say the least. Lisa Garrish is charming as Julie, while Edwina Freeman pulls off the farce staple of the knowing housekeeper with aplomb. Teresa Harper’s Maggie appears to know more than she is letting on, while plenty of laughs are provided by Alison Whittaker’s portrayal of Greta, a spurned lover who takes to supping “voddy” in the linen cupboard. The addition os Stephen Maslivec’s fireman and Alfie Howard’s young casanova into the mix create even more chaos.
The play was enthusiastically received by the audience – some of whom must have thought it was still panto season as they were overwhelmed by the urge to join in. With plenty of laughs, this light hearted comedy is an ideal way to perk up a grey January evening.
