Who goes to Warsaw on vacation and books a ticket to see a British sex farce? I do. The Teatr Capitol has staged Kiedy kota nie ma… (translation: When the Cat’s Away) in its repertoire in Polish which is helpfully performed with English supertitles. This play was written by Johnny Mortimer and Brian Cooke. They were the pair responsible for a number of popular 1970’s British television series including Man About the House and George and Mildred. In the United States, these comedies also became hits as Three’s Company and The Ropers. This play puts George and Mildred Roper on stage in this classic format. The first such farce I saw was Run For Your Wife in London in 1991. There are no standard issue transvestites in this one but that could have helped.
Silliness is to be expected. Silliness was on display. In the performance I caught, Viola Arlak played Mildred Roper, a woman who is trying to spark some amorous interest in her twenty five year marriage to George Roper (Piotr Cyrwus). He’d rather eat pickled onions in bed and avoid her not so subtle advances. Mildred surprises him with a trip to France in order to spark some desire which she badly needs. He has no interest in a trip to France, certainly not with his wife. Ms. Arlak was my favorite performer giving a very funny characterization of the exasperated Mildred with the right degree of exaggerated and calculated desperation mixed with a large slice of ham. Mr. Cyrwus is a gifted physical comedian channeling a slobbishly frigid Gumby-like simpleton.
Mildred’s sister Ethel (Maja Barelkowska) comes over to dinner with two suitcases but without Humphrey (nicely played by Jacek Lenartowicz). She believes her very randy husband is having an affair with his secretary. Sister Ethel is definitely not interested in her husband’s daily lovemaking requirements which begin when he arrives home from work at 4:00 and end an hour and forty minutes later when sports come on the telly. What about the weekends, Mildred wants to know. (Twice!!) Needless to say, Mildred is aggressively jealous and humps the couch and other items as proof. Two wet fish spouses are married to two middle aged hormonal sexpots. It’s not Shakespeare but there are laughs.
The two ladies wind up going to France together and Humphrey convinces George to invite his secretary and her suicidal friend out for a double date. Why is she suicidal you may ask. She’s distraught because her boyfriend of four years decided to stay with his wife. #MeToo this is not. When the Cat’s Away, #themicewillplay. Guess who comes home unexpectedly?
This production was an moderately enjoyable diversion. The material is not top drawer farce and the pacing could have used more frenetic energy to sell the ridiculously over-the-top comings and goings. The actors did break up laughing at one point ala The Carol Burnett Show which the audience clearly loved, as did I. Was that spontaneous or a piece of direction? Who cares, it was fun. Also amusing were some of the English translations. This one elicited a guffaw from me: “For a man facing death, you’re fuckingly cheerful.” Who knew the last syllable “-ly” was an valid option? That is why the theater is so vital. We can learn so much.