Baroque comedy coming to Thame

AS part of their summer tour of 28 venues around the UK, the much-loved and acclaimed Baroque Theatre Company are performing their Comedy Triple Bill at The Players Theatre, Thame on Sunday, July 23.

Photography by Kellie Colby Photography http://www.kelliecolby.co.uk/Cos

The Comedy Triple Bill features three short plays in one hilarious evening of fast-paced performances from an all-female cast. Audiences can expect an evening of laughs of West End quality as they follow the characters’ journey through each play.

The Comedy Triple Bill kicks off with Last Tango in Little Grimley, written by David Tristram, one of the UK’s most popular and respected playwrights. Membership of the local amateur dramatic society has dwindled to four and the audiences aren’t much bigger. If they don’t come up with some rent money soon, they’re going to be thrown out. Time for dramatic action. ‘There’s only one thing that sells tickets these days’, argues the Chairwoman. ‘Sex!’ But how will the locals react to the promise of a sizzling sex comedy? All is revealed and thus begins the chaotic build-up to an evening of extraordinary home-grown drama – an evening the locals would never forget!

The second play, A Jolly Sinister Jape, written by Elliot Strange, is a pastiche 1920s thriller with a plot that defies description. This is Famous Five fun for adults as Stubby, Ophelia, Biffy and Fatty find themselves trapped in a mysterious house during a thunderstorm. Is this someone’s idea of a jape? Or is something far more sinister going on? A Jolly Sinister Jape is fast and furious, with a liberal sprinkling of hilarious period slang, along with mystery and thrills.

The evening ends with David Tristram’s Last Panto in Little Grimley, a sequel to Last Tango in Little Grimley. Last Panto features the same incompetent characters. The society members tackle the Christmas Pantomime with predictably riotous results. It’s Dick Whittington … but not as you know it!

The cast features Baroque Theatre Company founder and actress Claire Bibby from Kent, Plymouth-born Patricia Derrick, Talitha Willsea from Norwich, and Hampshire- born Sally Blouet, who makes her Baroque Theatre Company debut.

Baroque Theatre Company Founder Claire Bibby said: “This is Baroque Theatre Company’s 16th tour and I’m particularly excited this year that the playwright David Tristram has given permission for Adam Morley, our Artistic Director, to adapt the dialogue for the all-female cast.’

Adam Morley, Artistic Director, added: “After seven years of audience and company growth and 16 UK tours, Baroque Theatre Company and I are delighted to return to our comedy roots. I’m especially honoured to revive this hugely successful Comedy Triple Bill, bringing to the stage a show in the mould of a classic British sitcom and a homage to the greats of UK comedy, including Fawlty Towers, The Vicar of Dibley, Open All Hours and Only Fools andHorses. Sit back and enjoy.”

This production is by arrangement with Samuel French Ltd, produced by Claire Bibby and sponsored by Clarian Ltd