Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Philadelphia

Unnecessary Farce
Act II Playhouse


Anthony Lawton, Karen Peakes, and Jake Blouch
Photo by Mark Garvin
Act II Playhouse's Unnecessary Farce is one of those comedies that only makes sense if you accept that all of the characters are idiots who don't behave like rational human beings would. But once you get over that, you'll probably end up enjoying yourself.

Unnecessary Farce is an American play written in the style of a traditional British sex farce (think of Ray Cooney warhorses like Run for Your Wife). There's a lot of bawdiness—a middle-aged couple keeps getting caught making out like hormonal teenagers, and the woman spends a lot of time clad only in her underwear—and a lot of slamming doors. But British comedy isn't the only influence on playwright Paul Slade Smith. One of his main characters, Billie, is a female version of Barney Fife—a rookie cop so naïve that she accidentally points a gun at herself, yet she fancies herself an expert in martial arts. (Barney's "specialty" was judo, Billie's is karate.) In the play's final scene, we even hear Barney's "All right, people, move along, nothing to see here" catch phrase. I'm not sure if this is a tribute to "The Andy Griffith Show" or whether it crosses the line into outright thievery. But either way, it's pretty funny.

The plot involves newbie cop Billie and office worker-turned-detective Eric. They've taken over a pair of adjoining hotel rooms, trying to run a sting operation to bring down their town's mayor, whom they suspect of embezzling $16 million. But things keep getting in the way of their investigation—like their own incompetence, Eric's libido, a Scottish hit man, a horny but insecure bodyguard, and an improbable crime boss.

It's all pretty Dumb with a capital D, and the repetitive jokes about porn and Scottish accents do get grating. But director David Bradley's quick pace and precision timing elevate the material, making it go down easily. And he's helped by a cast that is completely committed to the material. Standouts are Karen Peakes, whose Billie never loses her wide-eyed thrill at finally being a real cop; Anthony Lawton as her shy partner; Susan McKey as a perpetually mortified (and often underdressed) accountant; Akeem Davis, who brings a lot of gusto to the role of the bodyguard; and Jake Blouch as the resentful and ridiculous hit man.

Don't expect Unnecessary Farce to be a classic comedy. It's not "The Andy Griffith Show"; heck, it's not even Run for Your Wife. But thanks to its spirited cast, you may be surprised at how much it makes you laugh.

Unnecessary Farce runs through March 29, 2015, at Act II Playhouse, 56 East Butler Avenue, Ambler, Pennsylvania. Tickets are $28 - $35 and may be purchased by calling the box office at 215-654-0200 or online at www.Act2.org.


-- Tim Dunleavy