Waxing lyrical on the lunacy of life

Ron Cerabona published in Times 2 on Wednesday, April 21, 2010.

What happens when a 17th century French soldier with a prominent proboscis turns up in the elegant world of well-heeled honeymooners in 20th century Paris? That scenario - Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac turning up in Noel Coward's Private Lives - forms part of the comedic business in Ken Ludwig's play Moon Over Buffalo, which is being given its Canberra premiere by Canberra Repertory Society from April 30.

In 2006, Rep staged Ludwig's 1989 Broadway debut, Lend Me a Tenor, in a production directed by Cathie Clelland. Ludwig's farce was an international success and Rep's production was well received. Moon Over Buffalo made its Broadway debut in 1995.

While Lend Me a Tenor was concerned with the world of opera, Moon Over Buffalo strikes a bit closer to home for Rep, being set in a repertory theatre in Buffalo, New York, in 1953. But unlike Rep, this theatre is struggling.

"It's being threatened by TV," Clelland says.

Touring there is a theatre company headed by husband and wife George (Ian Croker) and Charlotte Hay (Barbara Denham) but although they are alternating in two very different plays - Rostand's 17th century romance Cyrano de Bergerac and Coward's 1930 comedy Private Lives - their minds are not wholly on their work. Oscar-winning director Frank Capra, who made such films as Mr Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life, had cast Ronald Colman and Greer Garson in a film, but that fell through and Capra is considering the couple as replacements.

"They can't resist the temptation of the offer to do a film," Clelland says.

Capra intends to come to a performance in order to make up his mind about them. In the real world, of course, they would put on their best show, and their best behaviour. But Moon Over Buffalo is a comedy, so Murphy's Law applies. Anything that can go wrong, will. "The husband and wife are feuding," Clelland says. "One keeps leaving the other and they never get together to find out much."

The source of the enmity is that George has had an affair with the company ingenue, Eileen (Carol Whitman), who is pregnant. Charlotte is sorely tempted to leave her husband for the company lawyer, Richard (John Honey). Her mother, Ethel (Fay Butcher), the costumer, might not necessarily mind.

"She hates George and he hates her even more," Clelland says.

Then their daughter, Rosalind (Naomi Milthorpe) has chosen this fraught time to come for a visit. She had wanted a normal life so got away from the world of theatre and works in advertising. The company manager, Paul (Sam Hannan-Morrow), is in love with her, but she already has a fiance, TV weatherman Howard (Jim Adamik).

With so many people and motivations involved, and the knowledge that a lot is at stake, it's not surprising things become, shall we say, hectic. "It gathers momentum as we go," Clelland says. "Everything gets crazier."

Even, perhaps, to the extent of different parties becoming confused about just which play they are supposed to be performing in order to impress the famous director.

Erin Pugh designed the set, and Clelland says, "It has a lot of doors, of course" - as any self-respecting set for a farce must - and they are opened and closed frequently as the characters make their frantic entrances and exits, sometimes pursuing or being pursued.

Clelland says, "The thing about farce is it's very forgiving."

Although the characters are self-centred, venal and willing to sell out, we are happy to laugh at their all too real, and all too obvious, failings. And in that laughter is a measure of forgiveness. And, perhaps, recognition of some of our own less saintly qualities.

Moon Over Buffalo previews on at Theatre 3, Repertory Lane (off Ellery Crescent), Acton, on April 29 at 8pm.
Then it is on from April 30 to May 15 at 8pm (Wednesday-Saturday)

Matinees are on May 8 and 15 at 2pm (Saturdays). Twilight show on May 9 at 5pm (Sunday). Tickets $35 full, $27 concession and preview/matinee/twilight. Bookings: phone 6257 1950 or visit www.canberrarep.org.au.