Intriguing Farce
Spies, surreptitious characters, secret passwords and clandestine meetings: With James Bond music playing as the play begins, you might think you are in for a thriller. Instead, Look No Hans is a door-slamming, silly British farce. Of course it has all the elements of a spy thriller but nonsense soon takes over, on the stage at Playhouse II in Grand Bend.
Englishman Peter Fisher is a struggling car salesman in Germany, in the cold war days. (Judging by the length of the telescoping antenna on his oversized portable telephone, it must have been the early eighties.) He is also some kind of auto industry secret agent. He has a wife, a mistress and a stripper. The latter shows up to celebrate his birthday. And then Cadwallader enters, his fellow secret agent, and after many comical attempts at getting the password right, they can finally talk. Later Tregunter-Jones joins them as they all want the coveted package. While this all sounds very simple, there are, of course, mistaken identities, many lies, and an abundance of slamming doors.
Kevin Kruchkywich is excellent as Peter Fisher. He handles the physical comedy very well, and has an excellent sense of comedic timing. Jacob James is hilarious as the twitchy and frustrated Cadwallader. The three women are all funny: Kaitlyn Riordan as the wife Monica, Steffi DiDomenicantonio as the stripper Mitzi, and Caitlin Stewart as the mistress Heidi make it a farce as they go in and out doors with perfect timing. Susan JohnstonCollins, the visitor bringing secret documents, is as usual, hilarious.
Everyone is waiting for Hans, another secret agent about to make a delivery. When a pair of feet can be seen dangling from a helicopter over Fisher’s balcony, they assume it’s Hans. “No, feet” is the response.
For those who enjoy a door slamming farce with corny jokes and physical comedy, this show will fill the bill. There are many laugh-out-loud moments as the strange plot unfolds with this solid comedic cast.
Look, No Hans continues with eight shows a week until June 28 at Playhouse II, Grand Bend. Tickets are available by calling the Box Office: 519-238-6000 or Toll Free 1-855-372-9866, or check www.draytonentertainment.com
Look, No Hans
By John Chapman and Michael Pertwee
Directed by Wade Lynch
Performed by Steffi DiDomenicantonio, Jacob James, Susan JohnstonCollins, Kevin Kruchkywich, Kaitlyn Riordan, Caitlin Stewart, Sir Ebenezer Von Doppelganger.
Produced by Drayton Entertainment
Playhouse II, Grand Bend
June 12 to 28, 2014
(Also July 2 to 19 at Drayton Festival Theatre)
Reviewed by Mary Alderson