CHEERS TO THOSE SAINTLY DRINKING HABITS
Talented cast, genuinely funny script give audience good reason to raise a glass
In comedy, timing is everything. For farces, this is even more critical if you expect modern audiences to buy into an art form that has been around for generations.
With Drinking Habits, timing and abundant talent happily combine to provide Stage West audiences with plenty of laughs amid the plot twists.
Farce elements for success are pretty standard. Mistaken identities, a bit of whodunnit, role reversals, and the prerequisite slamming doors — made a bit more difficult in this setting of a placid little convent that prescribes to recognizing moments of silence between church bells chiming.
Director J. Sean Elliott, the Stage West farce master, has taken this award-winning play by Tom Smith, and populated it with familiar local actors, some making their Stage West debut. Given the strength of the actors, combined with the laugh-filled script, the audience in attendance for the media night showing provided clear evidence of their enjoyment with their laughter.
The story is set in a convent somewhat bereft of adequate members. Basically we have two seamstress nuns at The Sisters Of Perpetual Sewing, along with the Mother Superior, who receives early notice in the proceedings that Rome may be looking to shut down this underperforming facility.
Elinor Holt plays the Mother Superior with gusto as she works to determine how to undermine a holy spy, thus keeping the tranquil convent afloat.
Unbeknownst to her, Sister Augusta (Natascha Girgis) and Sister Philamena (Esther Purves-Smith) have been operating an illicit vineyard to boost the fortunes of the little nunnery, but their secret stands to be exposed. Between the Sisters and Mother Superior, the running gag is an amazing assortment of nicknames for hooch, all circling back to The Dark Lord himself.
Insert a mini-mystery: a pair of struggling journalists are about to go undercover just as a spy sent from Rome is set to infiltrate the cosy environment. Add in a neighbouring priest (Robert Klein as Father Chenille) whose own congregation is small enough, and a groundskeeper (Al Braatz as George) with a secret of his own, and all the elements are in place to propel the proceedings.
Charlie Gould plays Sally, the runaway bride who suspiciously gets paired with her former fiance for all her assignments (Paul, played by Jeremy LaPalme).
Wait, I’ve missed the last inclusion to the proceedings — Arielle Rombough as Sister Mary Catherine, the novice masquerading as a full-blown nun. As she joins the rest at The Sisters Of Perpetual Sewing, the analogy abiding in the title is apt, given that all the threads are laid out for the audience, and anyone astute enough to piece the mystery together just might do so before the plottwists at the conclusion.
Along the way though, there’s plenty of fun as everyone takes on different identities, resorts to abundant subterfuge, and participates in a bit of “farce on steroids” in about the midway point. The finale is a group of plot twists that hardly ever ends.
The laughs are well written, well performed, and well, genuinely funny. The cast utilizes a variety of theatrical devices.
And shout outs for the costumes, set, sound and lighting on this production. Everything is in harmony for a perfect night of farce at the convent.