As Alan Ayckbourn steps down as artistic director of Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre, and celebrates his seventieth year, Coronation Street regular Denise Black, playing Delia, leads an ensemble cast of eight in West Yorkshire Playhouse’s revival of his classic comedy Bedroom Farce from 6 June – 4 July.
Making her West Yorkshire Playhouse directorial debut, director Tamara Harvey will be working closely with designer Anthony Lamble to squeeze four couples into three bedrooms in one night. Bedroom Farce is a classic comedy of love, friendship and the construction of flat pack furniture.
We have a pair of tickets and a packet of headache tablets to offer for the 15th June for the one reader with the most unusual & farcical bedroom story. Click here to win – your confidentiality is assured! Closing Date: 10th June 2009
A farcical bedroom story:
Several years ago, a friend of mine (Pete) was shooting a short film. Having very little budget he was using his own house as one of the locations, including a very impressive attic bedroom.
Filming had finished for the day so Pete went out for the night with a fellow housemate. The lads got lucky and ended up bringing a couple of girls back to their house for “coffee”.
They first gave them the ‘house tour’ but had completely forgotten that the cameras, tripods, lights etc hadn’t been cleared away from the attic bedroom, and their fixed position of the king sized bed in the middle of the room.
As the girls walked up the stairs into the bedroom Pete declared it was definitely the best room in the house…….needless to say, the girls left pretty sharpish despite Pete’s best efforts to explain.
Pleased to say that the designer, Antony, has used clothes and props from my store SPACE in Harrogate to help with the 70’s feel. We’ve only been here a month and its our first time ‘contributing to the arts!’.
Best wishes for the play.
I was lucky enough to attend the press night for ‘Bedroom Farce’ last Wednesday on The Culture Vulture’s behalf (we’re firm, feathered friends), so wanted to let you know what I thought…
As Ayckbourn himself says, less traditionally for him, the title of ‘Bedroom Farce’ does actually bear some resemblance to the content of the play. You pretty much get what it says on the tin with this one!
In glorious, yet typical, farce style there are plenty of quick exits and entrances, some larger than life characters – oh, and of course a sprinkling of misunderstandings thrown in for good measure.
Being Ayckbourn though, there’s more than a tinge of seriousness involved too – and I did find myself increasingly more uncomfortable laughing at a woman who – to all intents and purposes – is on the brink of a breakdown. But laugh I definitely did.
This is a beautifully produced period piece – even though that ‘period’ happens to be the seventies – and I felt transported into ‘The Good Life’ (that’s a good thing for me, by the way). I loved the costumes, hairstyles and decor, and thought Denise Black in her dinner attire would give Margot Leadbetter a run for her money!
If you love Ayckbourn, farce and the seventies or just fancy a few laughs then this is one for you.