Quotations from P G Wodehouse are copyright of, and reprinted by permission of, the Trustees of the Wodehouse Estate © 2012 The P G Wodehouse Society (UK)

By Jeeves, at the Landor Theatre February/March 2010

by Lesley Tapson

Rumour has it that the licensee of the Landor Pub has never ascended the stairs to visit the Landor Theatre. Assuming the source of that information to be accurate (viz. the horse’s mouth) he is missing a gem of a performance of By Jeeves by an aspiring playwright and equally aspiring composer who, mark my words, will become household names. Messrs Ayckbourn and Lloyd Webber (Sir and Lord to thee and me) have put together a delightful concoction featuring many favourite Wodehouse characters.

The tiny theatre (pop 60 max) has been lovingly transformed into a Church Hall, complete with welcoming committee of Honoria Glossop and the Rev. Harold ‘Stinker’ Pinker et al providing cucumber sandwiches and jam rolls (none of which I tasted – those closer to the action apparently resembling gannets and having v sharp elbows) which were described by said gannets as being more than fit for purpose.

The plot involves B Wooster Esq (played by the amiable Kevin Trainor) appearing as the lead in ‘Banjo Boy’ only to find that, as a mercy to music lovers, the banjo est disparu. To fill in the hiatus whilst waiting for the replacement banjo to be delivered Bertie recounts his adventures involving Gussie Fink Nottle, who was played by Andrew Pepper, a man who could make a fortune doing Fink Nottle tribute nights – all six in our party thought he was spot on.

Also appearing were Honoria Glossop, played by a fantastically Amazonian Charlotte Mills with a belting voice who could swing a dashed efficient shoe, notably when taking what might be thought a relatively minor role as a tap dancing fir tree (you need to be there!), Madeleine Basset (played by Helen George – a woman you could believe does feel that the stars are God’s daisy chain), as well as Bingo Little (played by Owain Rhys Davies – a man who did  handsprings as only Bingo could). The Rev Stinker Pinker, played by Brendan Cull – a hoofing vicar/fir tree (see above) and an impressive one at that, Stiffy Byng (Jenni Maitland) Cyrus Budge (David Menkin) and Sir Watkyn Basset (a wonderfully bluff Tim Hudson) provide for a dizzying story of the usual shenanigans into which our Bertram becomes involved.

The production pays homage to Les Miserables, The Wizard of Oz and Gilbert and Sullivan (again you need to be there to appreciate it).  The music is charming and on occasion touching. The delightful ballad ‘That Was Nearly Us’ as sung by Honoria to Bertie whilst he drives her through the countryside takes on an air of menace when seen though Bertram’s eyes as, yet again, Honoria’s thoughts veer towards the romantic, just when he thought he was safe.

Finally there is, of course, Jeeves himself. Paul M Meston plays him with a certain schadenfreude and displays a virtuosity in playing the saucepans with a wooden spoon in the gloriously mad finale (remember this is set in a village hall!).

The production has been extended to 12 March 2011. Do go and see it if you get the chance!

If you are reading this review whilst the production is still on and would like to go along, please go to the Future Events section of this website for production and theatre/ticket details.