Coastal Rep - The Golden Bay Times

Peace and quiet are apparently too much to ask for in See How They Run, Philip King's wildly entertaining British farce about mistaken identities, suspicious visitors, and a respectable household descending into complete madness. Set in an English village during World War II, the comedy centers on the Reverend Lionel Toop and his spirited American wife, Penelope, a former actress whose theatrical instincts have hardly disappeared since marriage. When Penelope reconnects with an old acting colleague who is now serving in the military, an innocent reunion creates circumstances that would give even the most forgiving church congregation something to gossip about. Matters become considerably worse when a disapproving local spinster, unexpected clergymen, and a dangerous escaped prisoner enter the picture. Before long, mistaken identities multiply, perfectly reasonable explanations sound utterly ridiculous, and the vicarage becomes the unlikely setting for an escalating parade of confusion. Doors swing open at precisely the wrong moments, characters find themselves in increasingly compromising situations, and keeping track of who is supposed to be whom becomes practically impossible. Packed with rapid-fire dialogue, physical comedy, outrageous coincidences, and eccentric personalities, See How They Run transforms a seemingly ordinary English household into a deliciously chaotic theatrical playground.