California Suite

By Neil Simon

California Suite is a collection of four plays linked by the fact that they are all set in the same rooms in a Los Angeles hotel.

Four sets of visitors tell their tales which range from touching family drama to out and out farce.

The seperate stories gave a rare opportunity for several directors to all work together on the same project.

Directed by Stephen Brunton, Brian Todd and Carol Fry

California Suite ran in the Garrick main theatre between the 28th November and the 1st of December 2007.

Four Into One Will Go for an Enjoyable Night's Evening

By Tony Wood

Have you ever stayed in a hotel room and wondered who had stayed in the room before? Have you ever thought about what secrets the room might hold? Lichfield Players' latest production, Neil Simon's 'California Suite', addresses just that situation. We are in a Beverley Hills hotel suite in Los Angeles and the four different pieces explore this idea. All the stories are independent save that they expose relationships and chemistry between couples all staying at varying times in rooms 203 and 204. These rooms are linked to provide the suite, and as we have come to expect from this group a magnificent set uses the whole of the Garrick stage to effect. It is a helpful concept for a company as the four plays can use different actors and be directed independently. In this case the independence was maintained as I understand the directors involved did not see each other's pieces until the production was complete.

In the first scene - 'Visitors from New York' - we meet Hannah Warren (Victoria Wilkinson) a magazine editor and Billy (Matthew Gee) a screen writer, a divorced couple who have come to discuss the future of their 17 year old daughter. A piece full of witty conversation and jibes at each other, but somehow it seemed that this was not really life but just for audience appreciation. The problem we saw in 'Blithe Spirit' was repeated - the conversation was not animated enough for the use of a small corner of the set.

'The Visitor from Philadelphia' was a much more lively piece. well, how would you feel about the compromising predicament of Marvin (Mike Smith) who finds a young woman in his bed and within minutes his wife (Ruth Hawkins) has arrived at the door.

In 'Visitors from London' Diana is a popular actress who has arrived in Los Angeles nominated for an Academy Award. The suite has taken on a gaudy look with an enormous display of artificial flowers and greenery, so over the top as was Diana, played with such sophistication by Polly Fitzwalter, firstly as she contemplates the evening ahead then afterwards, having not won, as a dishevelled, distressed and forlorn lady - interested in the drink, and so different. David Stonehouse was absolutely well cast as the antique dealer husband Sidney whose thespian skills enabled us to appreciate the scene, the relationship between husband and wife and to feel sympathy for the whole situation.

Finally we met the 'Visitors from Chicago' in a quite demanding scene where two couples, Mort (Brian Asbury) and his wife Beth (Rosemary Bodger) and Stu (Richard Bannister) with his wife Gert (Sarah Stanley) brought the face off on the tennis court back into the bedroom.

So, four for the price of one! Interesting contrasts and directors Stephen Brunton (New York and Philadelphia) Brian Todd (London) and Carol Fry (Chicago) brought together a pleasing evening in the company of the Lichfield Players in a somewhat different formula to usual. No doubt the next production Henry V will be different again. It is good to have this talented group of players in the city and their five productions a year add much to the theatrical experience of many.

Five Star Production

by Ann Mayo

I checked into Lichfield Players' production of California Suite last week and found the 'service' to be at least five star. Neil Simon's quartet of plays set in one hotel suite takes us through a whole gammut of characters.

'Visitor From New York' opened the evening and featured Victoria Wilkinson and Matthew gee as a divorced couple trying to sort out which of them should have their daughter for the following few months. This play was the slowest of the four.

'Visitor from Philadelphia' could almost be a Brian Rix farce. Marvin (Mike Smith) wakes to find a call-girl in the bed minutes before the arrival of his wife Millie (Ruth Hawkins). There followed a hilarious twenty minutes of comedy superbly played. The first two plays were directed by Stephen Brunton.

'Visitors from London' (my particular favourite of the four plays) featured David Stonehouse and Polly Fitzwalter as Sidney and Diana Nichols. Actress Diana and her husband were in town for the Oscars - she didn't get one - and the resulting drunken scenes would have graced any professional stage. Convincing performances from both and excellent direction from Brian Todd.

The final piece was 'Visitors from Chicago' which saw Brian Asbury, Rosemary Bodger, Richard Bannister and Sarah Stanley undertake some of the best and fastest moving 'business' I've seen for a long time - they must have been exhausted! Brilliant performances from all four and, again, well directed, this time by Carol Fry.

This was a great choice by the Players, thoroughly enjoyed by us all.