Review: Actors enjoy themselves in this gently amusing romp at the Priory in Kenilworth

The delightful Priory theatre box office staff offer a friendly welcome to patrons coming to see this 1930s musical comedy directed by Steve Boden.

It opes with a scene in a veranda aboard a luxury liner, which is very easy on the eye, with blues, decking and lights. A piano plays somewhere in the distance. The action starts as playwright Sandor Turai, played with eccentric charm by Brian Emeney, holds fort until he is joined by the hugely energetic and very funny cabin steward, ably acted by Dean Foy. Lots of puns about drinking means Turai always loses his tipple to the cabin steward. The timing was spot on.

Other characters bringing life to their characters in this gently amusing romp are Adam Adam, the young composer madly in love with Natasha Navratilova, beautifully played by Alison Hill. Ivor Fish, ‘an actor lothario’ full of hot air and pomp, is delightful as he tries to hang on to the plot being unveiled before him. Throw another playwright into the mix and there was bound to be chaos and trouble. James King, taking on the role of that other playwright, offered us just that.

The set and lights were well co ordinated - there was a sense of opulence and decadence in keeping with the time. The costumes were an odd mixture of old and new, but the action soon smoothed over any obvious blips.

The song and dance routines were well choreographed and fun to watch. The actors were obviously enjoying themselves and when lines were forgotten the prompt was discreet and quickly caught.

The story line is thin and needs terrific energy to overcome any lack of depth, but the team pulled it off. For a night out when you might want no more than some pleasant entertainment, then this is the place to go.

Monica Troughton