Don't Rock the Boat

Reviewed by Sue Ellis of the Eckington Leader

The City Players latest production is a light comedy which combines realistic characters with topical relevance creating much laughter.

Set on a houseboat, 'The Bunty', which is moored on the idyllic rural waters of the River Thames a brash self-made property developer, Arthur Bullhead, (expertly portrayed by Philip Mantle), who has decidedly ulterior motives, has invited the Chairman of the local planning committee and his family for a weekend aboard with his own family – wife Mary (Pat Miatt) and stroppy teenage daughter, Shirley, (Canan Cahit) with whom he clashes at every turn.

The two families are diametrically opposite – whether it be lifestyle, domestic habits or business ethics. The beautifully constructed Bunty – once again mention must be made of the excellent stage set created by the City Players – almost sinks beneath the waters of The Thames as the couples incompatibility creates arguments throughout the course of the weekend with dubious business dealings coming to light and the two daughters becoming friends as they discover the delights of the local disco which further ignites the ongoing turmoil.

Solicitor John Coombes (Matthew Joynes), his wife Carol and their daughter, Wendy (newcomers Linda Munton and Amanda Whelan) undergo a sea change in their attitudes as their carefully constructed lives unfold in their encounter with the Bullhead family – with so many issues being explored, including education, supermarket development and family life, the comedy never flags and the mayhem carefully unfolds with each character having many memorably sparkling lines in this very funny examination of morality and business ethics.

The City Players, under the direction of Nick Di Nitto, have once again created a production with skilled performances and high production values – well worth seeing.

Ellis, Susan. "Don't Rock the Boat". Eckington Leader, Oct 2011. Print.