Review: IT’S HER TURN NOW, The Mill at Sonning

Photo credit: Andreas Lambis

The Mill at Sonning is home to The Ray Cooney Auditorium so it feels a very fitting place to enjoy an adaptation of his 1990 farce, Out of Order. The original was about MP’s behaving badly but in this world premiere of the reworking by Michael Barfoot, it’s a female MP who comes under scrutiny for her dishonest deeds.

We meet Rebecca Willey MP (Elizabeth Elvin) as she is checking into a sumptuous suite at The Westminster Hotel and soon learn that instead of attending the all night session in parliament, she is actually conducting an affair with a Mr John Worthington (Raphael Bar) who is not only a married man, but a member of the opposition!

Unfortunately, the discovery of a dead body at the hotel room window rather puts a dampener on their passionate evening together, so Willey calls in her much put upon assistant, Georgia Pigden (Felicity Duncan). Things go rapidly downhill as they are joined in the hotel suite by a whole host of unwelcome visitors, including Worthington’s wife, the hotel manager, and a hotel steward who will only work for large cash tips. Only Willey and Georgia know the full extent of the disastrous situation they find themselves in, and do everything they can to avert scandal for the Conservative Party…and Rebecca Willey.

There are some very funny moments throughout the show, delivered by an able cast, but it is Felicity Duncan as Georgia and James Holmes as The Waiter who really carry the comedy of the piece, both with impeccable timing and excellent physicality which brings an extra layer of humour to their characters. Act 2 sees the arrival of Mr Willey (Eric Carte) and Nurse Foster (Jules Brown), and the addition of these two new characters picks the slightly slowing pace up nicely, as well as adding some additional opportunities for misunderstanding, innuendo and lots more hectic entrances and exits!

Barfoot’s adaptation has not only changed the gender of the protagonist, but has also modernised the original text with references to Rishi Sunak, the current run of MP’s turning away from the party, and the modern technical advances which have occurred since Cooney wrote Out of Order.

Alex Marker’s set design makes beautiful use of the relatively small playing area, and Natalie Titchener’s well considered costume design adds small flourishes to each character that visually indicate their personalities.

It’s Her Turn Now is a well produced piece of theatre, but seems to lack a vital spark which could make it a really excellent farce.

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Sarah Brown

It's Her Turn Now plays at The Mill at Sonning until 18 November, with further information here.