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21 July 2025
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3***½
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The plot of ‘A Foot in the Door’ is simple; slightly dotty old lady plays host to a number of salespeople, all desperate for a sale, but she has less than no interest in their products and as continues to avoid commitment, frustration and farce ensue. The story of the play is rather more complicated; originally written as a vehicle for Dora Bryan in the 1980s, the first professional production never happened and it has found a home on the amateur circuit. Now, Richard Harris has updated the script and the Summer Play Festival have mounted the premiere.
The setting is a completely believable living room of an elderly lady, the detail, as ever, is testament to the care put into it; the wonky table, the china dogs, the leaded light windows and the excellent wallpapering – bravo.
In the central role of Mrs Archer, Hilary Harwood is perfectly cast; her ability to show interest and complete disinterest at one and the same time is quite something and you just know she isn’t as out of touch as she seems. The first of the salespeople trying to get Mrs Archer to sign on the dotted line, is Warren Wallis; inexperienced, awkward and hopeless – Matthew Hartley uses his great comedic skills to create a wonderfully warm, but dim character who acts out his sales pitch with his hands. Desmond Donohoe may be full of Irish blarney but represents the worst kind of seller, deceitful, bombastic and flashy – Dominic McChesney fully inhabits the character from his odd socks to his matching tie and patently has a field day in the process. Painter and Decorator Stanislaw Stankowski and his assistant Angela have an ulterior motive for visiting Mrs Archer; Dafydd Gwyn Howells and Bridget Lambert, squeeze all the humour from their roles – though their funniest moment is not seen by the audience. Pitching her versatile keyboards is Jilly Jordan – a highly-sexed and over-the-top – a gloriously funny performance from Polly Smith.
It is not difficult to draw some comparisons with the plot of ‘The Ladykillers’ – but without any death – all the characters have something to gain from a successful result at Mrs Archer’s and a neat conclusion results for everyone.
The updates to the script do work in the main, but the various references to the century-old song ‘The Sheik of Araby’ do thrust it back into the past somewhat and humour is lost as a result. As mentioned, the plot is somewhat thin, but director Jason Moore has ensured the brisk pace carries the play forward before you have time to question the storyline and the cast have responded in kind. In the hands of a less capable group of actors the play may founder somewhat; not so here.
Undemanding, diverting and very funny, this is the perfect evening of comedy if you don’t want to take things too seriously!
Next in the Summer Play Festival is the comedy, NEVILLE’S ISLAND by Tim Firth (author of ‘Calendar Girls’ )– performing 28 July –1 August. Box Office – manorpavilion.com or 01395 514413
Cast
Warren Wallis – Matthew Hartley
May Archer – Hilary Harwood
Desmond Donohoe – Dominic McChesney
Stanislaw Stankowski – Dafydd Gwyn Howells
Angela Assistant – Bridget Lambert
Jilly Jordan – Polly Smith
Creatives
Writer – Richard Harris
Director – Jason Moore
Set Design – Andrew Beckett
Costume Designer – Jan Huckle
Lighting Design – Chris Jackson, Will Tippet,
Sound Design – James Prendergast
Set Builder – Rhys Cannon
Stage Manager – James Prendergast
Set Assistant – Dominic McChesney
Artistic Director – Paul Taylor-Mills
Associate Producer – Andrew Beckett
