The Opposite Sex – Lichfield Players
Lichfield Garrick Studio
Tuesday 17th July 2024 – Opening Night
By Nigel Gambles
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Lichfield Players latest production is a side-splitting adult comedy staged at Lichfield Garrick Theatre Studio.
The Opposite Sex, by David Tristram, revolves around the pasts of couples Mark and Vicky and Judith and Eric which come crashing back to haunt them. It soon transpires that Mark, played by Dickie Bannister-Lowe, and Judith, played by Niamh Mahon, share a past when Judith, an Avon lady, unexpectedly turns up at his and Vicky’s home.
The play revolves around a dinner party between the two couples, a meeting which could have made for a pleasant social evening, but once misfortune takes a hand it is not long before what should have been a social evening, turns into a social nightmare. The the air soon becomes thick with insults, black eyes and broken chins. Mark and Eric take an instant dislike to each other and deliver some cutting insults whilst Vicky, who believes a cheap bottle of wine has been bought by Mark when it was in fact Judith, creates even more tension. Tempers really start to fray when Eric begins insulting Judith in front of Mark, which makes him seethe with anger at the way she is treated by her husband.
As in all good farces the audience know exactly what is going on long before the characters which adds to the hilarious denouement.
A Pandora’s box unfolds, that once opened does not want to be closed, and the plot must run its hilarious course to its inevitable ending. This show has high production values complimented by an excellent set. Newcomer Lee Williams puts in a strong performance as Eric, and Sarah Stanley is consistent throughout as Vicky. Under the capable direction of Maureen George there are terrific performances by all four actors whose comic timing certainly paid off. This adult domestic comedy had the opening night audience in stitches from start to finish
