March 29, 2024

‘No Sex Please, We’re British’ opens Friday

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In the NCT’s latest theatrical offering, the cast and directors of “No Sex Please, We’re British” have found the perfect blend of physical and sophisticated comedy that will have audiences laughing ... and cringing ... and laughing some more, at each turn of this fast paced farce.

Although the name would imply something different, this is a “PG” comedy and is written, directed and performed within the great tradition of British comedies that straddle the fine line of suggestive, but rarely step over it.

NCT veterans, John and Linda Dougan are co-directing this production and did a great job of selecting a cast that has great comedic timing and a solid chemistry that make this play enjoyable from beginning to end. The cast is a nice blend of some of Newton Community Theatre’s favorite actors, as well as some fresh faces who are making a name for themselves in recent productions. As always, work done on the set, costumes and make-up really added to the Dougan’s direction style and vision, and the audience gets pulled right in to a British flat where the farce is set.

A newlywed couple Francis (Amy Klobnak) and Peter (Conor Fudge), find themselves in over their heads when a package is mistakenly dropped off at their flat. When their conservative, prim and proper co-worker Brian (Lonnie Appleby) shows up, the package is opened and they find themselves in possession of hundreds of illegal X-rated photographs that have been sent to them in the mail. Panic and pandemonium ensue for Peter and Francis, along with the anxiety-ridden bank employee Brian. These photos will ruin their reputations and their lives if they are caught with them as British Law forbids sending or receiving anything like this in the mail.

From the moment the curtain opens Amy Kobnak’s and Conor Fudge’s characters draw you in with their playful exchanges and proper British accents. As new obstacles are introduced, intensity grows and Fudge’s character’s anxiety intensifies to a hysterical high, while Amy’s high energy character tries to find solutions for the mayhem. Lonny Appleby completes this ensemble with his anxious and quirky character Brian. Frantically, Appleby’s character responds to the situations with hilarious gestures and facial expressions including physical comedy that keeps you entertained and laughing to the end.

The fun really begins when these three try to figure out how to get rid of the incriminating material. To make matters worse, Peter’s widowed mother Eleanor (Tammy Sposeto) has invited herself for an extended stay with the newlyweds and has every intention of finding fault with her son’s bride and making sure she is still the most important woman in her son’s life. Sposeto floats in and out of the scenes exuding elegance and poise, seamlessly portraying a perfect picture of high society. Her arrival comes right on the heels of the illegal photo delivery and the first person they need to hide them from is now under the same roof.

Then enters Mr. Bromhead (Larry Daft), Peter’s boss at the bank, who possesses the famous British stiff upper lip and high morality of his station in life. Every knock at the door seems to bring another problem and a new visitor that makes the situation even more precarious. Delivery men dropping off packages, and a friendly and “by the book” Police Superintendent (Mike McKenna), that is searching the city for the X-rated material. McKenna’s portrayal of an oblivious Superintendent (that takes his job very serious), has you wondering if he will ever find out what is going on.

Lots of laughs come when bank auditor Mr. Needham (Mark Monroe) ends up being in the apartment on the same night two unwanted guests, Susan (Debbie LaShomb) and Barbara (Dawn Ulrey) are mistakenly sent to the flat to meet a special client. These three actors heighten the panic in the room and create more things that need a cover-up than one can imagine.

The fast pace speeds up and takes many different twists and turns throughout this fun production, as Peter, Francis and Brian try to stay one step ahead of the mother, the boss, the bank auditor and the entire police force of England.

“No Sex Please We’re British” opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Newton Community Theatre. Other showtimes include 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. shows on Feb. 26-28.

‘No Sex Please, We’re British’

• Tickets: $12, Youth $10

• Box Office: 641-792-1230