Review: By Jeeves

A harassed-looking vicar strides around, looking for something.

An elderly couple, sitting down to enjoy the spectacle, are startled when a toothy little man pops up and grins at them.

'Hope you enjoy the show.

'Catch you later.'

Silence falls as the vicar takes the stage.

He begins by saying: 'Ladies and gentlemen.'

But the stand he is leaning on suddenly collapses and a merry twinkle of laughter raises the roof.

An evening of hooray-Henry fun follows, with plenty of love tangles and identity mix-ups.

The By Jeeves plot is simply complicated or complicatedly simple, depending on your view.

Bertie Wooster realises his beloved banjo has disappeared when he tries to play a tune on a frying pan.

A fundraising concert to raise money for a new church steeple hangs in the balance.

So Jeeves, Bertie's butler, steps in to save the day.

He suggests Wooster entertains the audience by narrating the dandyish antics of his high-society friends.

Jeffrey Holland cut a striking and respectable pose as Jeeves, raising laughs with the character's intellectual witicisms.

His 1920s-style rap song was particularly enjoyable.

Robin Armstrong was energetic in his eccentric portrayal of Bertie Wooster.

His quirky facial expressions and movements were fascinating.

But the chemistry between the two characters was a little lacking.

And Holland didn't quite master the know-it-all attitude of the literary Jeeves.

Armstrong was also perhaps too capable, not buffoon enough, in his performance.

The fault in this may well lie with the production itself, a Webber and Ayckbourn collaboration.

Nevertheless Director Chris Jordan worked all 12 actors well, producing amusing material.

Special mention should be made of Jon Trenchard, who was brilliant playing Bingo Little.

The wood-panelled set and costumes were perfect, as were the use of props.

And the choreography and music, supported by a six-man band, was pretty and pleasant but not memorable.

A Wodehouse purist, if such a person exists, could have qualms over the musical itself.

But whether the show is 100 per cent Jeeves and Wooster or not, there is no doubt it is 100 per cent entertainment.

Chris Eyte