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)

Come On, Jeeves

Harrogate Theatre, 10 May 2008

Scene one of the play begins in the living room at Towcester Abbey. In fact, all four scenes (presented in two acts) take place in the same room, and we are immediately introduced to Lady Monica Carmoyle, ‘Moke’ (Judy Buxton), Bill’s sister; Lord Rory Carmoyle (Derren Nesbitt), Moke’s husband; and Jill Wyvern (Myfanwy Waring), Bill’s fiancée, who is also the local vet. Soon after, Bill, Earl of Towcester (James Cawood) arrives from the racecourse. The scene is set and the plot explained.

Bill is in dire financial difficulties and cannot afford the upkeep of Towcester Abbey. As a last resort and unknown to Jill, Moke, and Rory, he has become a Silver Ring bookie under the name Honest Patch Perkins, and he enters the scene wearing a loud-coloured checked sports jacket, a false moustache, and a patch over one eye. He immediately changes clothes and becomes Bill again. Enter Jeeves (Richard Pocock), and they explain that all had been going well until a £5 ‘double’ bet was placed which cleaned Bill out – in fact, leaving him owing over £3,000. With insufficient means to settle the bet, Bill and Jeeves have fled, pursued by an irate big-game hunter called Capt Cuthbert Biggar (Victor Spinetti), who follows them to Towcester Abbey, determined to get his money. Bill and Jeeves try to convince Capt Biggar that he was mistaken in believing that Perkins is at the abbey.

Shortly after this, Moke explains to Bill that she met an American millionairess on a recent boat trip to England and that this American lady may be prepared to buy the abbey. Enter the eccentric Mrs Spottsworth (Anita Harris), who immediately falls in love with the old place. She is a keen ghost hunter and sees Towcester Abbey as full of potential. She also takes a shine to Capt Biggar. The first scene ends where Capt Biggar discovers that Bill and Honest Patch Perkins are one and the same, and he gives Bill 24 hours to come up with the money, or face the shame of a prison sentence.

What followed this point in the performance could scarcely have been bettered by Wodehouse himself. As the curtains were drawn to mark the end of the first scene, most of the audience rose to its feet, thinking that this was the interval. Many people had left the auditorium in search of refreshment, etc, before the theatre staff could react and ask people to remain seated. Staff rushed around, trying to round people up, but it was too late. The bars, the toilets, and for the smokers the street outside were already filling up, hence at the start of scene 2, many of the audience were absent.

Scenes 2 and 3 continued. A plot by Jeeves and Bill to steal Capt Biggar’s betting slip ends with Bill and Jeeves wrestling each other instead of the Captain, and Bill concedes that he will have to get Capt Biggar his money but says that he will also have to wait a while. Biggar explains that he needs the money by the next day, as he has a hot tip on the big race, and if he wins it will set him up for life. The three then hatch a plot to steal Mrs Spottsworth’s valuable necklace. The plan is that they will pawn the necklace, use the money to bet on the race, redeem the necklace with the winnings, return it to Mrs Spottsworth, and all will be well. Some of the funniest scenes happen here with Bill’s attempts to get the necklace, including a particularly funny Charleston performed by Bill and Mrs Spottsworth. Bill’s extra attentions towards Mrs Spottsworth whilst trying to get the necklace make Jill jealous and she breaks the engagement. Needless to say, things to do not work out exactly as planned, but the necklace is finally pinched, and when the maid Ellen (Pamela Flanagan) informs Mrs Spottsworth that her necklace is missing, the police are called for. They arrive in the form of Colonel Bladgen (Nicholas Pound), who attempts to investigate.

There is an assumption that Capt Biggar has stolen the necklace since he is missing from the house, and as Col Blagden is in the process of obtaining a list of those present, the commentary from the big race is playing over the radio. After a photo finish, the horse fancied by Capt Biggar has lost and everyone is in despair – except Mrs Spottsworth, who had backed the winner.

Capt Biggar returns to the house. He did not pawn the necklace, and it is ‘found’ and returned to Mrs Spottsworth. She is overjoyed, expresses her love for the Captain and agrees to buy the house from Bill. All is forgiven – Jeeves had made Jill aware earlier of the reason for Bill lavishing his attentions on Mrs Spottsworth – and the play ends in true Wodehousean fashion with all of the loose ends tied up very nicely.

This was my first experience of a Wodehouse/Bolton play, and I loved it. The performances from all the characters were excellent, with Anita Harris lighting up the stage in every scene that she did. She was absolutely first class.

Richard Pocock played Jeeves just right, and Captain Biggar played by Victor Spinetti was as loud and uncompromising as the part demanded. Derren Nesbitt as Rory Carmoyle had many of the best jokes and one-liners, and he showed a surprising flair for comedy, with great timing. The ‘straighter’ roles of Moke and Jill were played beautifully by Judy Buxton and Myfanwy Waring, with Waring showing her comedy potential towards the end during the commentary on the horse race. Bill was the central figure, of course, and James Cawood was convincing as the hapless Earl, reliant on Jeeves to get him out of trouble.

Everything in this play clicked. The set, the costumes and even the contemporary interval music worked wonderfully well, and the cast are terrific. The script was beautifully paced, allowing the audience to follow the plot without labouring any of the points. This is a show that will appeal to almost everybody. As I looked around the audience during the interval, I could see that all age groups were present, and there was something in it for everyone – clever gags, silly gags, elaborate set-ups, and plain and simple slapstick. The heat in the theatre was stifling and uncomfortable, but in spite of this the show was very well received and can be regarded as a triumph.

As a consequence of the heat, my wife and I went to the theatre bar after the show for a cool drink – something we’ve never done before – and were delighted to meet most of the cast. They gladly signed autographs and were happy to spend time with us discussing the show. Anita Harris is as fantastic off stage as she is on it. As she lit up the stage, so she lit up the bar afterwards, and as we left shook hands with my wife, but kissed me – twice!

– Jeff Coates