WATCHING Richard Harris’s cricketing farce Outside Edge 47 years after its premiere, and holding a programme that contains the message “Please be aware that Outside Edge is a classic late 20th-century comedy which reflects the language and attitudes of its time. Some audience members may find this content offensive,” I found myself asking exactly what HAS changed in those intervening decades.

I’ve never been a cricket fan, falling into the “watching paint dry” cohort (we’re all in cohorts now, aren’t we?) Certainly the language has changed, but in these manosphere days, is the attitude to women really much different?

Enough of the grumpy-old-woman and on to Colin Hayman’s production of this often hilarious play for the talented and versatile Studio Theatre company. Staged with the company’s usual meticulous care, the club house is the setting for the unravelling of the team’s sporting and matrimonial difficulties, one Saturday in summer, with rain always threatening. This is the day of the revenge match against the neighbouring team, and our heroes must bring their A-game.

The bombastic and self-aggrandising Robert depends on his faithful wife to do EVERYTHING, from organising the schedule to making the now-legendary teas. Bob is having problems with his wife – the new one and the one he left behind. Dennis is smarming his way round everyone. Kevin has brought his wife Maggie along, but he has injured his all-important spinning finger. Alex’s latest squeeze is a very young disco dancer, totally out of her depth.

Plays like Outside Edge (and there were lots of them, many turned into beloved TV series) are classic farces with caricature characters and totally predictable situations, and they rest on the abilities of the whole cast of actors to keep the action and the laughter going. The idea of one star performance was dependent on celebrity availability. That’s not how it works for amateur productions, and certainly Outside Edge has had dozens of those over the years.

At Salisbury this week, that situation changes. Olivia Dutson’s performance as Maggie is a barnstorming triumph (even to the extent of throwing a bullseye!) The eyes had it throughout, as this powerful, funny woman cherished her little Kev, shook off the lecherous Dennis, sorted the DIY tasks, helped the lost Sharon and generally mesmerised the audience.

Kris Hamilton-Brain and Emma Young organised the day as the ineffectual Roger and his ultra-organising wife, with Paul Chalmers contributing another memorable Studio characterisation as the oleaginously ingratiating Dennis. Julian Feria’s Kevin was the perfect man-child. Matthew Hodge’s Bob and Terry D’Onofrio’s patronising Alex were all too recognisable. Martha-Rose McKeown overcame the peculiar outfit and wig with some wonderfully memorable vocal moments as the lost Sharon.

Outside Edge is another Studio Theatre sell out. If you have a ticket, I hope you will be more impressed by the production than offended by the content.

GP-W

 

Photographs by Anthony von Roretz Trinity Photography