Is Ayckbourn ok? Certainly he was for the accomplished cast in the HIADS production of How the other half loves.

The author loves to challenge with his mirthful, middle class melodramas about rocky marriages, awkward affairs, calamities, twists, wrangles and tangles.

Ayckbourn's audiences can't possibly suspend their disbelief, as one is supposed to do n in theatre, because his are not really plays but bundles of laughs. So the actors have to move things along with sleights, speed, stage presence, snappy dialogue and slick timing.

Once again, our Station Theatre company proved they can do it and retain that class which is the difference between quality comedy and common farce.

Key character was the classical Ayckbourn type, Gary Gwinnell-Smith's character, Frank Foster. A poseur, jogger (same thing?), faintly freaky businessman, supposed master of his own house and marriage but actually useless at fixing anything domestic, especially his wife's love affair. This was even after prim but no so proper wife, Fiona, drove home drunk at three in the morning though this was their wedding anniversary and he was home alone with the wine.

Fiona was played by Miriam Gossage, absolutely perfect in the part of a charming but robotic housewife, cruising smoothly on and off the set, serving her husband with automatic efficiency, twirling for him in a pretentiously pretty dress, all the time carrying on her affair with angelic cool. The cool was confirmed, despite the frenzied story line by Matt Johnston's good looks and stage style as boyfriend Bob, and Gary's sublime projection of cloudy over confidence.

But, after all, this isn't Real England but Ayckbourn land, where the men are all faintly or firmly freaky and most of the women pushovers when it comes to playing away.

This was a puzzling play to watch because Ayckbourn decided on a strategy in which separate scenarios were played on the same set at the same time. Characters wandered on, surreally indifferent to the fact that they were sharing the stage with persons who weren't really there and often not all there either.

Typical was a hilarious situation in which two dinner parties were staged simultaneously.

Victims of this were the hapless Featherstones. They had obligingly accepted both invitations believing they were going up I the world when they were actually just being set up. This was to be grilled about their marriage, allegedly breaking up when it was rock solid and the quirky queries came from Frank the consummate cuckold and Fiona the uxorial adulterer.

As the Featherstones were being entertained by two different and indifferent hostesses, they had to swivel from side to side to attend to their dishes of avocado, pate, soup or whatever, depending on which hostess could spare a second to serve them at the moment.

Most vigorous swiveller was Rob Finn, every inch the part as big and bemused William Featherstone, being more physical than mousy Mary, his wife. He also added good value in the play as a sort of First Responder in DIY emergencies appearing in combat gear with every tool of the trade. These included a wrench as big as a rocket launcher hinting perhaps that HIADS props had at last found Iraq's elusive weapons of mass destruction.

So the story bowled hilariously along on eggshell improbabilities. Particularly funny were the series of frustrating phone calls interruptus as the lovers dialled then downed their phones whenever someone awkward walked on stage.

Bravest on the scene was do-gooder Mary Featherstone. Subtle Sue Finn played her character suitably in the shadow of hubby William. Modest and retiring, she shrugged off her shyness to please him and even swallowed sherry though it was poison to her palate.

To spice the show, she put her virtue on the line going to randy Bob Phillip's residence to sort out the wreckage wrought by his wacky wife, Teresa. Kate Hudson convinced in that part with eloquence, energy and effect. She was a sort of earth mother whose ideas never touched the ground; Guardian reader, pseudo intellectual and spontaneous sloven who couldn't clean, couldn't cook, couldn't care for baby and couldn't do anything to please potentially wife-beating hubby.

This was aforementioned Bob, Matt Johnson, upwardly opportunistic office cad carrying riskily with his boss's wife. Matt was super as the smooth suited seducer and his scenes with Kate in their domestic debacle were brilliant, as was his ultimate black eye. In short all the characters where excellently cast, focused on set and natural.

Martin Steven said it all on this bright set with breezy, confident direction bringing out the best in actors and Ayckbourn. When is seaside Hayling going to twin with seaside Scarborough so HIADS can get a visit from their sardonic bard they show so well?

Vic Pierce-Jones

Hayling Islander

The plays of Alan Ayckbourn are best at their most confusing and How the other half loves is no exception.

Under Martin Stevens's confident direction, HIADS confronts this task energetically to produce a slick and hilarious farce. The interaction and cross-interaction of this play an often lose an audience, but the skilful cast holds the attention with help from an impressive set.

From Gary Gwinnell-Smith as the bumbling but naïve Frank Foster to Sue Finn's simpering, mousy Mary Featherstone, all the actors give strong individual performances.

Comedies of this sort, where the ordinary is taken to extraordinary lengths, can be played over the top - and farce played farcically can lead to blandness. But HIADS cannot be accused of this.

Although at times the pace dips dangerously, defined characterisations and excellent timing keep it flowing. Recommended.

Paula Cartwright

The News