Was out at the Village Playhouse last night to see the Village Players’ production of Mr. Pim Passes By, by A.A. Milne (yep, the one who wrote the Winnie the Pooh stories), directed by Barbara Larose, assisted by Ellen Green.
In her director’s notes, Larose describes the play as “a comic charmer filled with innocence and irony” – and she and a fine cast deliver on this assertion big time as the relative peace and quiet of George Marden’s (Rob Candy) country home in Buckinghamshire is set at sixes and sevens after some disturbing news from a visitor. The visitor, Mr. Pim (Steve Ness), passes along some news that could have a disastrous impact on George and Olive’s (Kathleen Jackson Allamby) marriage. Meanwhile, all George’s niece and ward Dinah (Madeleine Kane) wants to do is marry socialist artist Brian Strange (Daniel Carter), but George forbids it on the grounds of their youth, as well as Brian’s occupation and politics – and the young couple has joined forces with Olive to get George to reconsider.
Ness gives the unassuming Mr. Pim a nice befuddled and affable quality, not unlike Milne’s most beloved character Pooh. Kane is an adorably precocious and energetic chatterbox as Dinah, and has a sweet, playful chemistry with Carter’s charming and passionate abstract painter Brian. Candy’s George is comically stubborn, proper and set in his ways – not a bad or particularly harsh man, just an old-fashioned patriarch struggling with progress. Jackson Allamby is lovely as the modern, forward-thinking and infinitely patient Olive, who is artful but not conniving in her dealings with George’s obstinacy. And Barbara Salsberg’s Lady Julia Marden is the perfect picture of an imperious older aunt, commanding both respect and familial fear, but essentially sensible and pragmatic in action.
Add to that some good fun comic turns by the two maids – Shobha Hatte’s prim, stern and all-seeing Anne, and ASM Laura Conway as the younger, cheeky maid – and you have an all-around good time.
With shouts to the design team for their work in creating this idyllic 1919 morning-room world in the English countryside: Steve Minnie (set), Theresa Arneaud (costumes), John Cabanela (lighting) and Rick Jones (sound), with the talents of Kyra Millan on piano. And, as always, to Margot “Mom” Devlin, the intrepid SM/lighting op who keeps it all together and running smoothly.
Delightful comedy ensues as scandal and chaos erupt in a good English country home in Mr. Pim Passes By.
Mr. Pim Passes By continues its run at the Village Playhouse until October 3 – check here for scheduling and tickets.
life with more cowbell 