This 1963 Neil Simon play – despite focusing on the first row of newlyweds Corrie (Faye Castelow) and Paul (Dominic Tighe) as they settle into their run down top floor apartment in New York and attempt to match her mother Mrs Banks (Maureen Lipman) with the adventurous and exotic upstairs neighbour Victor (Oliver Cotton) – still feels fresh.
The play starts with background traffic noise filtering into the untidy but furniture-free apartment with naïve young Corrie fluttering about with paint pots. The telephone repair man arrives – and thus we hear the first of many jokes about how many stairs there are – and the comic action begins. The great lines that pepper the script start flowing and the audience starts laughing. Not polite titters, but genuine expressions of enjoyment.
Maureen Lipman pulls off the empty nester mother brilliantly and there’s plenty of physical comedy to confirm her pedigree as an experienced actress. Oliver Cotton is well cast and a good match for her as a fantastically outlandish but within the realms of credibility character.
Dominic Tighe plays first the tolerant, safe, young lawyer husband nervous about his first court case but then later expands the role to show a bit of gumption and passion. Faye Castelow – although initially a bit too saccharine sweet – shows the silly dramatic girlishness of her character before wising up to her mistake and showing remorse.
Whilst Maureen Lipman (who also directs) plays a strong and central character, she doesn’t steal the show – perhaps because the other players are all so good. Even the bit part delivery man drew some laughs.
There were a few places where the American accents were temporarily misplaced but no one seemed to notice and it didn’t detract too much. It’s a gentle, harmless and funny play that moves at a good pace and is well punctuated a good many funny lines. The somewhat mature audience at Richmond Theatre last night seemed rather pleased with the performance. I’m tempted now to take a look at the film version which stars Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.
The plays runs at Richmond until 5th May and tickets range from £12 to £32. http://www.atgtickets.com/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Tickets/45/1496/
