Review: Boeing Boeing, Lymington Players

WHEN Lymington Players presented the 1960s farce Boeing Boeing, originally written in French by Marc Camoletti, the Malt Hall was transformed into an airport complete with airport staff, Duty-Free direction signs, canned music and loudspeaker announcements – even down to the inevitable delay in take-off.

In his flat decorated with garish '60s wallpaper, Parisian philanderer Bernard has his life splendidly laid out before him: three beautiful fiancées (each unaware of the others), all air hostesses, different nationalities, different airlines, different timetables. What could possibly go wrong?

Paul Skelton was excellent as the libertine Bernard as was Dave Woods as bewildered southern friend Robert Castingue, astounded at his old friend's exploits. Emily-Jane Charge was the capable American hostess Gloria, Bee Neal (a real life air hostess) stepped in at the last minute as the excitable, passionate Italian Gabriella longing to get married and Victoria Sandford was the definite German Gretchen, riddled with guilt at kissing Robert by mistake. There was an entertaining misunderstanding between these latter two over Aix-en-Provence, France and Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany.

Ruth Alinek stole the show as Bertha, the exasperated maid who “comes with the flat” whose organising and cooking skills are a vital part of Bernard's ability to juggle his three namoradas. She said so much with a simple facial expression or meaningful glance.

Timetable changes and bad weather culminate in all three fiancées being in Paris in Bernard's flat at the same time with Robert desperately trying to keep them apart and save his friend's bacon, leading to slammed doors and excellently-timed entries and exits. Will he be successful?

Neil Phillips in his debut as director did a brilliant job with a relatively new cast resulting in a brilliant farce to the delight of the sell-out audience.

Alison Smith