Crooked Wood, at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
THE POWER of individuals against the might of development was portrayed in a satisfying production of Crooked Wood.
Elderly Miss Barwick (played by Jill Freud, wife of the late Clement Freud) wants to stay in the house she was born in, despite all the others having been sold and emptied around her.
Up against her are a company led by Murray Lester (Simon Snashall) and his business partner Andrew Veitch (Richard Gibson). Added to the mix is Veitch's wife Sally (Penelope Rawlins) who is keen to acquire some of the treasures the old tumbled down house holds.
Can Miss Barwick withstand the onslaught, or will she wilt at the prospect of the offer of 1m?
The story was originally a BBC TV film by Mony Python star Michael Palin, but it transfers to the stage very well, with writer Gillian Plowman updating the dialogue.
There are plenty of comic moments, mainly involving the old lady, and the only jarring moments are the use of four-letter words.
They are obviously used to show the contrast between the hard-nosed developers and the gentle old dear, but even in the 21st century provincial theatre they can still offend.
Overall, though, this is a good production, with an excellent set and some excellent acting, particularly from Jill Freud and Richard Gibson (perhaps better known as Herr Flick in in the BBC series 'Allo! 'Allo!)
Steve Payne
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Friday 10 February 2012
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