Written By
Alan Bennett
Where and When
20th – 22nd October 2016 @ The Tivoli Theatre Wimborne
The Plot
The antics at the Wicksteed home are a satirical merry-go-round. Family, friends and the sexual satisfaction of the “corpus” (body) are the ruling passions in this farcical comedy of ill-manners.
Cast
- Mrs Swabb – Judy Garrett
- Dr Arthur Wicksteed – Tony Parkinson
- Muriel Wicksteed – Jenny Hughes
- Dennis Wicksteed – Calum Hearne
- Constance Wicksteed – Jemma Cable
- Canon Throbbing – John Sivewright
- Sir Percy Shorter – Michael J Smith
- Lady Rumpers – Val Mantle
- Felicity Rumpers – Michelle Barter
- Mr Shanks – David Beddard
- Mr Purdue – Ken Fletcher
Creative Team
- Director – Barry Baynton
- Set Designer – Barry Baynton and John Willmott
- Company Stage Manager – John Willmott
- Tivoli Production Manager – Kyle Best
- ASMs – Tracey Nicholls, Phyllis Spencer
- Continuity – Heather Fletcher
- Lighting – Kieran Henshaw-Ray
- Sound – Peter Grey
- Costume Supervisor – Caroline Burr
- Costume Assistants – Moira Hawey, Lisa Clarke
Gallery
Reviews
John Newth – Scene One
The legal Latin of the title translates as ‘You might have the body’ and a theme which recurs throughout the play is that there is too much emphasis placed on the body, and especially its sex drive, compared with the emotions and other aspects of what it is to be human. Typically, Bennett is attacking the prevailing attitudes of the time, with mockery as his weapon of choice.
Is it a farce? Not in the Ray Cooney sense, although trousers are dropped, identities are mistaken and there are jokes about laxatives. It relies for its laughs much more on the skilful dialogue and the acute perception behind it. At times it is almost like a revue, with pairs of actors crossing the stage while speaking just two or three lines.
Habeas Corpus had its first performance in 1973. The date is significant for two reasons. First, the concept of the permissive society was new enough to be the mainspring of a comedy. Second, Bennett was not yet 40 and while the accuracy of his vision and the sharpness of his wit are evident throughout the play, they are naturally not as well-developed as in his later work.
If these factors make Habeas Corpus seem a little dated, it is still a darned good play. Like a more conventional farce, it requires good ensemble acting and a smart pace and this production does it full justice by providing both.
Mrs Swabb, the cleaning lady, introduces herself, then the characters, like contestants on a game show. She says that she represents Fate, but she is more like a chorus or narrator. Judy Garrett plays her with great fluency and makes her a really attractive character. The central figure is a GP, Arthur Wicksteed, which provides a good channel for Bennett’s observations on the body. Tony Parkinson brings authority to the part of this philandering doctor who is resisting the onset of middle age, but perhaps just misses getting the tone and timing of Bennett’s lines exactly right to bring out their full humour. As Muriel Wicksteed, Jenny Hughes achieves the trick of being equally convincing as domineering harridan, wronged wife and frustrated sexpot.
It is the ordering of a pair of ‘falsies’ by Arthur’s sister, Connie, that sets the plot going – and gives Bennett scope for more observations on how we regard our bodies. Jemma Cable, playing Connie, acts with her legs remarkably well, and brings off a believable transformation from ugly duckling to swan. As the Wicksteeds’ son, Calum Hearne has a nice line in gaucheness, while Michelle Barter is not only suitably decorative but acts well as the object of his affections, Felicity.
Felicity’s mother, Lady Rumpers, is home after decades in ‘the colonies’ and is a device to express astonishment at how Britain has changed. Val Mantle plays her with Lady Bracknell-like imperiousness, but is also believable when confessing a youthful peccadillo essential to the plot. Michael J Smith has the right stature for Muriel’s old flame, Sir Percy Shorter, but sacrifices clarity in his search for the right voice for the character.
Canon Throbbing, although a man of the cloth, is as susceptible to the lusts of the flesh as any of the other characters, and John Sivewright conveys this well. Possibly the stand-out performance comes from David Beddard, an accomplished clown, as the fitter of the troublesome falsies.
It is probably not the hardest play in the world to direct, but Barry Baynton has made the right choice in keeping it uncomplicated while ensuring plenty of movement on the simple but effective set.
Marilyn Barber – Stour and Avon Magazine
It’s a cheeky little play with all the attributes of a farce – dropped trousers, boob jokes and innuendo. As several characters say ‘it is the permissive age’. However, Alan Bennett’s quirky and melodic dialogue isn’t offensive, just amusing – quite simply the humour of seaside postcards.
Set in the Hove area in the 1960s there is all the ingredients for comedy, a frustrated wife, a flat chested spinster, a lecherous curate and an ever present charlady. There are some very strong performances amongst this 11-strong cast. It is directed by Barry Baynton who is responsible for getting the best out of several am-dram groups in the area.
Jenny Hughes is the doyenne of eccentric characterisation so it is good to see her giving her inimitable enthusiasm to the sexy role of Muriel. Tony Parkinson has some splendid lines as her husband Dr Arthur Wicksteed which he delivers with panache. Calum Hearne is a popular actor on the local scene who always gets under the skin of his roles and he is just perfect as the gawky adolescent with very little going for him.
The part of Constance gives Jemma Cable the chance to give her all as she moves from being mousy to outrageously flirtatious. Judy Garrett clearly has a lot of fun as the cleaner Mrs Swabb which is almost a narrating role, helping to link scenes. Both John Sivewright as Canon Throbbing and David Beddard as salesman Mr Shanks provide a huge amount of amusement, with behaviour and facial expressions which are outrageous.
Michelle Barter puts plenty of enthusiasm into the role of the errant Felicity Rumpers, whilst Val Mantle is suitably buttoned-up as her mother Lady Rumpers. Sir Percy Shorter, aptly named as references to his height provide lots of merriment, is played by Michael J Smith, who clearly has a lot of stage experience under his belt, whilst Ken Fletcher, has a small, yet salient part as the depressed Mr Purdue.
It runs until the end of this week, and if you want a carefree evening try to get a ticket.
Programme
