Summer Festival 2011 opens at Century Church Theatre here on July 13.
Three classic comedies by award-winning playwrights promise plenty of laughter.
“We like to do comedy in the summer, because our audiences want to come and relax and have fun,” said Artistic Director Neville Worsnop. “But when we choose a summer comedy we also look for a play that has some substance – interesting characters, and a thought-provoking story, something that the audience can identify with, and talk about afterwards.”
Sir Alan Ayckbourn, author of the opening play, is well-known for his unorthodox plot twists and deeply human characters. Confusions tells five interlinked stories, all dealing with human eccentricities, and the hilarious and sometimes ludicrous situations that can arise. Five actors play 21 different roles as the action moves through many genres of comedy, from sit-com to pathos to outright farce.
Knighted for lifetime achievement in theatre, and with 70 hit plays to his credit, Ayckbourn is the most prolific and the most enjoyed English playwright after Shakespeare.
Directed by Jo Phenix, the play stars Jill Peterson, Frank Rempel, Patrick C. Smith, Wendy West, and Neville Worsnop, it runs July 13 to 24.
Coming Apart, by Fred Carmichael, features a successful humor columnist and a romance novelist whose marriage is on the rocks.
In a series of wildly comical flashbacks and flash-forwards, each remembers different versions of their romantic past, and each has a different future in mind. Hilarious revelations bring about a mirthful happy ending.
Directed by David Glover, the play stars Pat Beaven, Carol McCone, Gary Seibert, and Patrick C. Smith, and runs August 17 to 28.
Every woman owes it to herself to take her man to see the final festival show, Shirley Valentine, by Willy Russell, directed by Worsnop.
Shirley is a frustrated middle-class housewife who longs for more in her life.
An opportunity and a challenge arise when a friend invites her to go along on a holiday to Greece.
“This role has been on my bucket list for ages,” said star Carol Beauchamp. “Her experiences and views on life so well reflect the lives of many women, and I am thrilled to finally have the chance to be Shirley.”
The play runs Sept. 14 to 18, and is a must-see for anyone who has enjoyed the movie, as the way Shirley reflects on her life, her husband, and her children is even more touching on stage, and also very funny.
Each show has weekday and weekend matinees, and evening performances.
Tickets are $23 for matinees and $27 for evenings with a 10% discount for booking all three shows together. Group rates are also available. For information and to book tickets, call 519-855-4586, or visit www.centurychurchtheatre.com.
