False Pretences at Metro Theatre (theatre review)
Now starting its 49th season (that’s a long time for a theater!), Metro Theatre invited Hummingbird604.com to see the premiere of their opening show, False Pretences. False Pretences is a comedy by one of England’s best-known sitcom writers, Eric Chappell. The play is set in suburban England, and all the action happens in Kevin’s drawing room.
The plot is typical comedy material: one day, Kevin comes home to learn that his brother-in-law Victor, recently freed from prison for fraud, has moved in for a few weeks. This spells danger for the recently bereaved and fragile Lucy, a wealthy widow. Seeing an easy way out of his money problems, Victor sets his sight on Lucy and attempts to seduce her.
This was my first “traditional” play since I started writing for Hummingbird604 and it was absolutely refreshing. A nice comedy after the shock of CATIVO was very welcome. Don’t be fooled by the drawing room set: False Pretences shows a masculine world where women answer the door, serve tea, wear pretty dresses and whine about not getting enough sex or jewelry. I wouldn’t call it sexist per se, but I felt the lack of strong female presence. Even the ending plot twist didn’t redeem this fault. The writing was witty and funny when it was delivered correctly, which was most of the time. However, some acting blunders sometimes distracted and slowed down the pace of the play.
Since this was a premiere, I expect that they will be ironed out quickly. Also, take your English slang dictionary with you; this is a British play and it uses several words that you may not be familiar with. As I watch a lot of British TV, I didn’t have a problem catching up.
The actors were competent, with Robert Sterling (Kevin) and Christopher Dellinger (Victor) stealing the spotlight. They make a great comic duo, with the constantly thwarted con man taking advice from the conservative real estate agent. Tom Kavadias in the role of the slippery Soapy Simpson was delightful–a shame his character doesn’t appear earlier in the play.
Credit: Brian Campbell
Overall, I had a great time at False Pretences. A funny play put together simply without anything flashy. There’s a good mix of verbal and physical humour that will please most viewers. It won’t make you think very hard, but it will make you laugh. Although I appreciate the efforts of avant-garde theatre and understand the importance of pushing the boundaries of any art form, sometimes there’s nothing like sitting down in a regular theatre to watch a more traditional comedy.
What: False Pretences by Eric Chappell
When: Until September 24th
Where: Metro Theater, 1370 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver
More info: Metro Theatre website
Disclosure: Anabelle covered False Pretences at Metro Theatre for Hummingbird604.com on complimentary media tickets to attend the play. We were not paid to write a review nor were we required to do so (and a favorable review is not expected, even with complimentary tickets). Raul maintains editorial control over all content posted on Hummingbird604.com.
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