Directed by Caroline Blaylock
Reviewed by Dessa Bayrock
Plays again:
Saturday, April 26 at 9:20 p.m.
Sunday, April 27 at 5:20 p.m.
If a quick set change to the tune of “Staying Alive” didn’t tell us we were in for a period piece, the two bright print dresses on the characters still did. With glee we settle into a less serious time, when it’s possible to hide the death of one’s father for six months in order to avoid paying death duty on the inheritance.
The script runs like a classic British comedy, with characters accidentally referencing the facts they try to hide and only just covering them again – to uproarious laughter. Keep the doctor out of the house! Keep the vicar’s wife out of father’s bedroom!
The genre lends itself to a bit of geographical confusion , however; although the two sisters reference their location in B.C. more than once, all four characters lean more towards an odd mix of British / Scottish / Irish accents than they should.
The comedy trots along wonderfully, finished by a narrow escape and a pair of fainting ladies in the drawing room. If you’re craving a bit of British-style hilarity, this is the place to be — despite the at-first confusing fact that the eponymous strawberry jam refers (as far as I can tell) to the situation rather than the expected condiment.
Memorable lines:
“Father is defrosting very nicely.”
“Wipe your hooter and pull yourself together!”
