Charley's Aunt
by Brandon Thomas

Venue: The Forum Studio Theatre

Jack Chesney and Charley Wykeham are two Oxford Undergraduates; hapless at life and hopeless in love! Jack loves Kitty Verdun and Charley loves Amy Spettigue; but the course of true love never did run smooth. In an attempt to impress, the boys invite the ladies to meet Charley's exotic and wealthy aunt Donna Lucia, who comes from Brazil, "where the nuts come from". But when Donna Lucia cancels her visit at the last minute, the boys turn in desperation to their flamboyant yet feckless friend Lord Fancourt Babberley; who with the aid of a rather fetching frock and wig, makes for a very convincing dowager aunt. All proceeds well, especially for Babbs who enjoys the affection and confidences of the young ladies, until the real Donna Lucia appears. A fundamentally farcical concoction of deception, mistaken identity and indecent proposals ensures that chaos and hilarity ensues for all concerned. Brandon Thomas’ classic farce is one of the great plays of the English Stage. Fresh from a West End revival, this is a wonderful slice of life in a bygone age, as fast and funny today as it was on its debut 125 years ago.

Cast

Jack Chesney - Daniel Shenton
Charley Wykeham - Andrew Rawlinson-Heath
Lord Fancourt Babberley - Dan Thomas
Kitty Verdun - Lucy Child
Amy Spettigue - Shannon Lancashire
Sir Francis Chesney - Eric Jones
Stephen Spettigue - Ray Bengree
Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez - Catherine Eve
Ela Delahay - Amelia Douggie
Brassett - Chris Griffiths

Production team

Directed by Gemma Richards