The Aylmer Community Theatre presents Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies as their first show of the season. A farce presented on a straightforward set, and based on a simple plot, it requires no great thought from the audience but the characters and their antics are over-the-top silly enough to provide a well paced couple hours of hilarity.
Set in 1958, Leading Ladies’ main characters are Jack and Leo, two down on their luck English Shakespearean actors working the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. Hearing about a fabulously rich old lady who is reportedly on death’s door, Leo (Greg Mizon) and Jack (Evan Thompson) come up with the seemingly straight-forward scheme of impersonating her long-lost nephews in a bid to inherit her fortune.
The first complication to arise (the fact that the nephews are actually nieces) doesn’t deter them and they descend, dressed as women, upon the mansion of the miraculously recovering Florence (Liz Marra). They soon become acquainted with her drama-loving neice, Meg (Sandi Lopenen) and her greedy pastor fiancé Duncan (Ron Sawyer), Meg’s delightful but ditzy friend Audrey (Ashley Grech), the bungling doctor and his clueless but adorable son, Butch (Alex Pickersgill).
Central to the play’s fun is the idea of men playing men playing women and Mizon and Thompson pull it off delightfully. More complications arise with romances, jealousies and greed thrown in for good measure, providing a well-played, well-paced two hours of fun. Each member of the cast acts his/her part to the hilt – they are obviously having a good time and it’s contagious.
Set in 1958, Leading Ladies’ main characters are Jack and Leo, two down on their luck English Shakespearean actors working the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. Hearing about a fabulously rich old lady who is reportedly on death’s door, Leo (Greg Mizon) and Jack (Evan Thompson) come up with the seemingly straight-forward scheme of impersonating her long-lost nephews in a bid to inherit her fortune.
The first complication to arise (the fact that the nephews are actually nieces) doesn’t deter them and they descend, dressed as women, upon the mansion of the miraculously recovering Florence (Liz Marra). They soon become acquainted with her drama-loving neice, Meg (Sandi Lopenen) and her greedy pastor fiancé Duncan (Ron Sawyer), Meg’s delightful but ditzy friend Audrey (Ashley Grech), the bungling doctor and his clueless but adorable son, Butch (Alex Pickersgill).
Central to the play’s fun is the idea of men playing men playing women and Mizon and Thompson pull it off delightfully. More complications arise with romances, jealousies and greed thrown in for good measure, providing a well-played, well-paced two hours of fun. Each member of the cast acts his/her part to the hilt – they are obviously having a good time and it’s contagious.
Above, Jack (Evan Thompson) & Leo (Greg Mizon)
Above, Audrey (Ashley Grech); Duncan (Ron Sawyer); Doc (Alan Legg); Jack (Evan Thompson); Leo (Greg Mizon); Butch (Alex Pickersgill); Florence (Liz Marra); Meg (Sandi Loponen).
Directed by Harry Edison, Leading Ladies continues Thurs Oct 13th to Sat Oct 15th with shows at 8pm each evening at the Aylmer Old Town Hall Theatre. Tickets are $15 adult, $10 student, available from The Prime Ingredient, Campbells II, Aylmer Video or tickets@aylmertheatre.ca. For more information call 519-773-3372 or visit http://www.aylmertheatre.ca/.
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