Chaotic and Adulterous Accommodations

Chaotic and Adulterous Accommodations by Nick Pannu, CJSF 90.1 fm

The Western Canadian premiere of Bedside Manners is presented by the Metro Theatre. Bedside Manners is directed by playwright John Crittenden. The comedy revolves around one character's plight and vain effort to maintain order amidst havoc perpetuated by husbands, wives and their respective lovers in his sister's seedy Country inn. Performances are scheduled from August 27 until September 24. A&E's Nick Pannu reviews the show.

Abruptly, the play begins with a rendition of Sunny and Cher's "I got you babe." The music doesn't necessarily set the tone one might expect from a scene wherein a hotel guest anxiously awaits his mistress but rather operates as an attempt to create the play's aura of intrigue and unpredictably. However, the first interaction among certain characters nullifies this attempt. As one guest continually tips the Inn Keeper in an attempt to insure the concealment of his indiscretion, a general foreshadowing of the entire plot.

In a nutshell, the play involves an escapade of husbands and their wives, coincidentally stuck in the same resort, trying to hide their respective lovers from each other. As one can imagine this scenario would set the stage for a fairly standard comedy. Unfortunately, beyond merely lacking inventiveness, this production didn't manage to produce laughs until the latter half of the performance. The play, for some reason, did not have a pulse until half way through. Some dialogue intended to be funny had no real substance and the natural flow seemed to be disrupted by some of the scenes. It was an effort to suspend my own disbelief. Elements were introduced for comedic effect, but without any deference to the rules of rational human behavior. The Inn Keeper, Farris, constantly enters each couple's room, without a knock or sufficient cause. Guests are forced to switch rooms without adequate account for why they are changing rooms.

What can be said about Bedside Manners is that it does have a very talented cast. John Cousins gives a gives a superb performance as Roger, while Maria Todd interacts favourably with him in the role of his mistress. Veteran stage, TV and film actor, Alec Burden carries the weight of the production on his shoulders. His energy and the ease with which he immerses himself into his character, Farris, makes up for other qualms in the play. Alec Burden's experience and poise are able to subdue what portions of the script lack depth.

Bedside Manners is playing at the Metro Theatre, 1370 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver. Visit www.metrotheatre.org or call (604)-266-7191 for more information.