Dangerously funny liaisons

Smart eyes will see it in an instant: A sparsely decorated but brightly colored set with six doors (just right for slamming), a long, comfy couch (just right for kissing) and, most prominent of all, a big oval bed. All this can mean only one thing: a British sex farce.

And that’s exactly what Hedgerow Theatre’s Move Over Mrs. Markham is. A production full of ringing phones, misplaced love notes, a well-stocked liquor cabinet, multiple levels of amorous deceit and numerous characters in pajamas and brightly colored underwear, all trying desperately to hide when they’re caught unaware.

True situation comedy entails a basic comedic problem that is cleverly manipulated by complications, surprises and reversals that produce funny results. The most extreme form of situation comedy is farce, which stretches back to the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Farce traditionally involves certain elements, including liars with secrets, sexual peccadilloes, disastrous misunderstandings and mistaken identities. The chief pleasure comes from watching the complications spin out of control as characters seek to get away with their indiscretions only to face ever-mounting calamities.

Ray Cooney, a successful British playwright, has been perfecting his farcical skills for more than two decades, cranking out a series of popular West End comedies. His works include long-running trifles such as Not Now Darling, Funny Money, Wife Begins at Forty and Run for Your Wife.

In a genre where timing is key, this production, directed by Penelope Reed, is fast and funny.

The improbable yet hilarious action is set in Philip and Joanna Markhams’ London flat, where the players have planned various liaisons for the same evening unbeknownst to one another. The resulting mayhem forms the body, so to speak, of the piece.

Philip’s (Zoran Kovcic’s) business partner, Henry, wants to meet a telephone operator with whom he has connected with on the phone. Henry’s wife, Linda, talks Joanna (Donna Dougherty) into letting the apartment become a love nest for a clandestine meeting with Walter. And the interior designer, Alistair Spenlow, has set up an assignation with the Markhams’ au pair, Sylvie.

Definitely a case of overbooking a room, but when the Markhams decide to stay home and an elderly author shows up unannounced, all hell breaks loose.

There are visual and verbal innuendos and the delightful chaos in the second half (as most of the characters pretend to be someone else) is handled crisply. A Hedgerow cast that includes both old and new company members skillfully layers the misunderstandings and false assumptions. Some actors begin the play with a British accent that quickly dissipates as the action heats up.

Dougherty turns in an accomplished performance with excellent facial expressions and timing. Kovcic, the perfect victim of calamity, renders a flawless delivery, giving great comedy to his role. Daniel Robaire is campy interior designer Alistair and Arrie Callahan has great sex appeal as Sylvie.

Other members of the cast include the ever-enjoyable Susan Wefel, who just about walked away with the last scene as Miss Smythe; Betty Lou Roselle as Linda Lodge; David Christoffersen, who turns in a strong performance as Henry Lodge; and Newton Buchanan as the misplaced Walter Pangbourne – a perfect fish out of water. No sex farce is complete without a gorgeous woman in the bed and Katie Chick fits the bill perfectly.

Move Over Mrs. Markham
through Aug. 28
Hedgerow Theatre
64 W. Rose Valley Road, Media
Tickets: $22-$25
610-565-7431
www.hedgerowtheatre.org