On The Razzle

by Tom Stoppard

was the fourth play of the 2010-11 season and the fourth of the Players' Pro-Am collaborations with the Garrick Rep Company.

On The Razzle featured a revolving set and Stoppard's surreal brand of farce called for a deranged array of memorable moments including a gorilla, parrot and giant lobster.

Theatre review: On The Razzle @ Lichfield Garrick

Apr 13, 2011 by Phil Preece

On The Razzle is the latest offering in the Garrick Rep’s illustrious run of classic revivals. The result is a farce which proves to be a blissful romp through an almost endless array of silliness.

I have no idea what really went on, so wildly inventive is the fun so don’t quote me, but suffice it to say it’s set in Austria, in a grocer’s shop. The owner has matrimonial intentions (which go wrong), his two downtrodden assistants decide to go “on the razzle” in Vienna while he’s off pursuing them, and they all meet up in a restaurant where – everything goes wrong. There’s a parallel pair of young lovers who have to sneak around in danger of being found out, plus a whole raft of disguises involving a dress shop, acres of tartan, ladies’ clothing being worn by both sexes, and a whole lot more.

Naturally it all ends happily but on the way there are more ludicrous situations than you can shake a stick at and a good deal of laughter. The dialogue is filled with puns and misapprehensions of the “there’s a rush on pig’s trotters” and “this tartan’s had its fling” variety which come thick and fast.

This is a pro-am production so expect to see your own favourite and very experienced local players in a company strengthened by professional actors with a well-known professional director and designer to boot.

Director Alice Bartlett has a wealth of credits under her belt nationally but you’ll have seen her work before at the Garrick including Satin ‘n’ Steel and the superb Waiting For Godot. Here she marshals a large cast with a truly professional flourish. Designer John Brooking has worked most recently on Garrick shows that include The Entertainer, The Blue Room and Haunting Julia. His multi-purpose set here is bright and inventive, making superb use of the Garrick stage’s revolve, the first time I’ve seen it used.

It’s impossible with such a large cast to mention everyone but if it’s anybody’s, this is Chris Stanley’s show. As shop owner Herr Zangler he carries a huge part which would daunt a seasoned professional (which he is, I reckon) but it is the prodigious feat of memory required to encompass all the verbal twists and trick of his character’s dialogue which earns him the night’s star.

Darren Beaumont and Joe Morrow form an extremely likeable double-act somewhat reminiscent of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, one tall and thin, one small and dark, as the hapless much put-upon assistants. In addition Tom McCarron and Lindsey Carr-Marie, (who has all the charm of a young Michelle Dotrice) get to skulk delightfully as the forbidden lovers.

Special mention must go to Jane Gardner as an elegant widow, Michael Kelly as the new servant Melchior, Jan Goodwin as a lovelorn older lady, Adrienne Swallow as an eccentric invalid, and Pauline Fowler as a very very saucy maid. Young William Stevenson seemed alarmingly accomplished as the third waiter. This boy should go far. And don’t forget to look out for the gorillas – oh and yes, the mechanical parrot.