Audiences are in for a comedic treat when the Ponca Playhouse presents One Man, Two Guvnors this weekend and next. The first offering of their 63rd season, this hilarious farce by Richard Bean features a host of talent in frantic and hilarious hijinks that I predict will have the audience gasping in laughter just as the actors must be gasping for breath. Directed by Sam Stuart, this commedia dell’arte style play is a rollicking, boisterous comedy that barrels from one joke to the next and is just the thing to lift the spirits.

The play opens in the seaside town of Brighton, England on an April morning in 1963, at the engagement party of young Pauline Clench (charmingly played by Lynna Storm) and her fiancé Alan Dangle (Kaden Swords) an overdramatic amateur actor whose flowery speech is the butt of many jokes. This is a sharp contrast for theatregoers who might remember Kaden from his lead role last year in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time but it was great fun to see him in something so different. Miss Storm’s character is darling but dim, and you can’t help but feel a bit sorry for her as she is ordered about by her father, local mob boss Charlie “The Duck”, a role that seems tailor-made for Stephen Long. It is soon revealed that Charlie had a very different match in mind for Pauline in the person of gangster Roscoe Crabbe, thwarted by the untimely murder of the very same (but hey, the sausage rolls had already been ordered). Calamity and confusion ensue when Roscoe suddenly turns up at the party, escorted by his “minder” Francis Henshall (Ryan Brown), and demands that Charlie honor their arrangement. Alan’s father Harry Dangle (who is also Charlie’s shady lawyer) is played by Larry King in his usual capable manner while Charlie’s saucy bookkeeper Dolly is played with much vim and vigor by Andrea Mooney. Francis is of course instantly attracted to Dolly and their verbal sparring matches and prodigious flirtation set the tone for many of the bawdy and irreverent jokes to come. Also present is pub owner and chef Lloyd Boateng (Todd Stuart,) the only character to recognize “Roscoe” as actually being his twin sister Rachel (Dana Willoughby) in disguise. Rachel is on the run since her brother’s murder by her own boyfriend. Despite her manly attire and wig, Miss Willoughby really shines as she shifts seamlessly between the confident East End thug she must pretend to be and her real persona, a lovesick young woman on the lam. The party soon breaks up, of course, with Pauline vowing she will never marry Roscoe, Alan threatening violence, Charlie digging up the funds to pay off Roscoe, and Francis and his Guvnor leaving to find accommodation and food at Lloyd’s pub, The Cricketer’s Arms.

This is our first real moment with the title character and Ryan Brown plays it up for all it is worth. With his usual aplomb Mr. Brown quips, improvises and teases the audience, even involving a few good sports among them in his antics onstage as Francis Henshall, recently fired from his Skiffle band, perpetually famished, easily confused and of course chiefly concerned with his own welfare. Outside the Cricketer’s Arms he meets Stanley Stubbers (Blake Brown), an upper class twit whose stuffy manners and dirty humor clash to uproarious effect. Spotting another easy meal ticket, Francis agrees to work for Stanley as well but must now keep his two Guvnors from discovering his duplicity while he attempts not to become confused himself. Blake Brown is frankly ridiculous as Stanley, never shying away from even the lowest jokes and giving as good as he gets against brother Ryan (though audiences should note that some of the humor is definitely not for children.) When he is not running errands for his masters or trying to fill his belly, Francis spends every other moment trying to convince sassy Dolly to run away with him to Mallorca for a weekend or scamming everyone around him for the funds to make it happen.

The cast is rounded out by an ensemble of colorful characters including Chris Schelp as boorish head waiter Gareth and JP Mays as his ancient and tottering fellow Alfie, who really brings the slapstick physical humor with Francis to a climax. Also featured are Stacie Snyder, Janie Heitman and Jordyn Heitman, as everything from a young Boy Scout to the local Bobbies making their rounds. Peppered with British slang, the physical humor and non-stop pace are interspersed with delightful Skiffle music during the transitions, including songs by Grant Olding from the original production. All together the show is an invigorating rollercoaster of mistaken identities, missed connections, and madcap British humor that cannot help but entertain.

Of course, many volunteers have given their time and talents to the production, and it shows. Costumes and hair by Kat Long are lovely and evocative, with a versatile set design by Chad Anderson which was constructed by many of the cast. The delightful props are by Stacey Richard, Roseanne Cockriel, Sam Stuart and Blake Brown. Lighting design is by Kyla Radaker-James, Sound design by Todd Stuart, and the technical operations are performed by Tyler Coffman and Stage Manager Caroline Buck-Homier. Angelisa Tello and Mallory Riley provided head shots and other photography.

In her Director’s Note, Sam Stuart says the cast “…have found every grin, every guffaw, every nuance of humor, brought it out into the light, polished it up and made it shine like a beacon” with the simple goal of making their audience howl with laughter. Don’t miss the opportunity to let them do just that.

Performances of One Man, Two Guvnors are September 10-12th and 17-19th, 2021 at the Ponca Playhouse, 301 S. First in Ponca City. Friday and Saturday showings begin at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2:00. Tickets are $20 each for adults, available online at www.poncaplayhouse.com or by phone at 580-765-5360. Season memberships are also still available for the Playhouse both online or at the theater.