The latest comedy fare from the picturesque Mill Theatre at Sonning brings a touch of Broadway fun to the spring season with a typical Broadway romp amusingly titled Alone Together Again. Its by Lawrence Roman, whose play Under the Yum Yum Tree was also a success for the theatre in 2002.
After 30 years spent bringing up three boisterous sons, a happily married couple look forward to spending time getting to know each other again. But, as they say, be careful what you ask the Gods for they might grant it! There are soon sparks of friction flying as Helena, played by the winsome Elizabeth Elvin, and George, the rather glamorous Michael Howe, are a bit too honest about the things that irritate them about each other. Ouch!
But the empty nest doesn't stay empty for long, as first Helena's Pop (Gordon Sterne) and then George's mum Grace, the elegant Ann Davies, turn up unexpectedly at the front door each with their own crises to be sorted out by the hapless couple.
Pop is having a problem coming to terms with the fact he is turning 80, so decides to immerse himself in learning about new technologies. He has left home and wife Ruth a marvellous, hilarious, performance by Elizabeth Power and set up camp in Helena's spare room, where he promptly proceeds to build a robot. Grace, meanwhile, is concealing her fears for her health as she approaches old age, and is taking refuge from the results due from medical tests.
Though very amusingly handled all this subtext is, in fact, quite serious. To their credit, the cast don't shy away from that at the appropriate moments, and never go for cheap laughs. But, at its heart, this is a comedy and an uplifting one at that. Directed by Sally Hughes, Alone Together Again is an interesting piece with a lot of substance. But it is played with a light touch and much sensitive humour.
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