Neil Simon comedy at Repertory Theatre

THREE wildly different stories set in Suite 719 at New York’s swish Plaza Suite Hotel is the premise of Toowoomba Repertory Theatre’s latest play opening on July 14 and running until July 28.

Plaza Suite is a comedy written by American Tony Award winning playwright Neil Simon directed by Adrian Smith and features a large cast with a number of actors playing two roles.

“The first story is about a suburban couple trying to rescue a marriage in tatters followed by a Hollywood producer who invites over his childhood sweetheart in the hope he can seduce her,” Mr Smith said.

“The final story features frustrated parents arguing over how to entice their daughter out of the locked bathroom and downstairs to the ballroom for her wedding and reception.”

It is 50 years since Plaza Suite hit Broadway and Mr Smith believes Simon’s writing holds appeal to both “Baby Boomers” like him and the younger generations.

“I feel people have experienced complications like the characters in his plays and can relate to them,” he said.

“He wrote comedies that deal with realistic events in people’s lives. People do have affairs, people do not get on while married and people do all sorts of strange behaviours on a wedding day.”

The play is staged in 1968 and the set replicates a plush hotel suite of that era.

The cast is made up of Alan Richardson, Helen Holmes, Shara Helmstedt, Alli Purtill, Christine Anderson, Peter Devey, Kieran and Mark Phythian.

Public nights are July 21, 27 and 28. Online ticketing is already open on the theatre’s website www.toowoombarep.com.au which also provides contact details for fundraising performances from July 14 to 26.

The theatre’s Box Office, 94 Margaret St opposite Queens Park, opens Friday- Sunday 11am-3pm until tickets are sold out.