Despite the dated nature of this highly irreverent farce, Bennett's script still packs a punch and is every bit as delightful today as it was on its first outing way back in 1973 (when none other than Alec Guinness played the leading role!). I was first introduced to this farce when I was but a young twenty-something, and portrayed the part of Dennis Wickstead in a brilliant production which sadly closed far too soon (but that's another story altogether...!) 'Habeas Corpus' was Bennett's third full length play, and his first farce. After writing 'Forty Years On' and 'Getting On', both excellently observed comedies, Bennett returned to his time with Beyond The Fringe and all through this play there are echoes of the absurdist and off-beat satirical humour for which the Cambridge Footlights et al at that time were renowned.
This is not an easy play, it doesn't follow convention. First of all, it acknowledges the audience right from the start, and throughout; although it never becomes pantomimic or requiring audience responses (thank goodness!). And whilst there is a very clear storyline the play is much more a series of small vignettes (some of which are sung and / or danced), but all furthering the story to its eventual and unavoidable conclusion. It's a difficult play to cast too, as Bennett was meticulous in describing many of the characters that people this play in great detail within the script, and so actors and actresses of certain ages and especially body shapes and sizes are required. This, for an amateur company which casts only from their own membership, must be quite a tall order, and so, in this regard, Oldham's Lyceum did a sterling job in their casting. And finally, it is not an easy play because of the nature of the play and its writing. Farce requires expert delivery and superb comedy timing, and the pace must be maintained. Characters need to be fully-formed, complete and complex characterisations with which the audience the can relate, and yet be highly comedic finding nothing funny in spending half the play in your underwear!
The play is about a desire (habeas) for flesh (corpus) [a somewhat outdated legal term meaning a court can demand the presence of the prisoner in order to try and secure their release], as basically eveyone in the play is motivated by and leching after sex one way or another, except poor Mr. Purdue (but I'll come back to him).
Paul Gledhill's direction was mostly effective, utilising some nice ideas within the play. It did have moments of pure farce which worked superbly, but in general, the pace was nowhere near swift enough, and the actors were not picking up their cues or entering the stage as promptly as they really ought to have been. One of the problems here might have been the Lyceum's stage, as the set design - a brightly painted seaside backdrop of flats on both sides (very enjoyable), and a large flat of a rising sun with rays of yellow and red reminiscent of Communism on the rear (less successful) - didn't allow for swift entrances and exits. Gledhill did however manage to convincingly portray that rose-tinted spectacled view that we all have of a seaside holiday of a bygone era where the barrel organ plays "Beside The Seaside", and we poke our heads through a wooden picture of rather plump ladies in 1930's bathing costumes for a photograph, which was lovingly lampooned by the likes of the 'Carry On' films and Benny Hill.
All the cast (apart from one, but I'll return to him), had a very clear understanding of their roles, their characters and how they fit into the plot (which is, at some points, to quote Bertie Wooster, as thick as Mulligatawny), and there was a good bond between them on stage too. Without exception, they all needed to up their games just a tad due to the nature of the farce, in terms of pace and timing of delivery, but that is something which can only be gained through practice, and so a few more runs will hopefully put that right!
Jon Comyn-Platt gave an intelligently observed portrayal of protagonist Arthur Wicksteed, whilst his more dominant wife, Muriel, was played with terse authority by Sue Radcliffe. Dennis (Cameron Kennedy) showed skill in underplaying his character to great effect, and his relationship with Felicty (Alison Mitchell) worked nicely. Connie Wicksteed, the dour, flat-chested spinster who is lusted after by a vicar with a penchant for boys, was played with a sense of fun by Maureen Coop; whilst her "throbbing" pursuer, Canon Throbbing, was nothing short of a complete delight, absolutely hitting his character firm and squarely on the nail's head at all times. A lovely characterisation from Nigel Slater (no, not the celebrity chef...!)
Sue Garlick played Lady Rumpers (another beautifully thought out comedic surname), Lady Bracknell-esque, her upright and battleship-like demeanor impressed, making a lovely dynamic change on her entrances; whilst both Ian Crickett and John Fletcher tried hard to keep up with the pace of their farcical parts of Mr. Shanks and Sir Percy Shorter respectively. Such a shame that Fletcher got a little lost with his lines in the second act this evening, but this is live theatre (dahlink!) and so praise must go to the cast for continuing and ad-libbing as they did. Alison Foy played Mrs. Swabb, the "lady that does", who acts as both narrator and conscience, almost Greek Chorus-esque, as she flits in and out with either feather duster or hoover in hand. I have seen this play where this role has been performed by a man in drag, and it doesn't work anywhere near as well as when it is portrayed, as indeed it was this evening, by the correct gender. Foy proved to be a most valuable asset to the team too, leading the singing and dancing, as well as giving us a whole range of facial expressions of which Bernard Manning would've been jealous!
There is one character left to mention (I said I'd get there eventually!); Mr Purdue. A poor pitiful soul crying out for attention, he is constantly ignored and brushed to the side. He is so needy that he rings his doctor to tell him that he is going to commit suicide... a plea for help.. and he is still ignored. The character is both essential and pivotal in order to balance the play somewhat, and therefore requires nothing more than a serious and deadpan delivery from the actor who plays this role. James Andrew, most unfortunately, was given the wrong direction and found a character that belonged more to a cabaret nigthclub than a desperate loner. And without giving away any of the plot, the final scene of the first act, where Purdue has his moment was completely lost in the melee and given the wrong emphasis.
Habeas Corpus remains in my top ten favourite farces of all time, and Oldham Lyceum's production is solid and well crafted, certainly worth seeing. It's a play that, for obvious casting reasons, isn't produced very often, and so I recommend you catch it while you can. Who knows, in this age of wokeness and PC, it might not survive another outing!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 13.6.22
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 13.6.22
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