BOEING BOEING

BOEING BOEING

Talking Scarlet at the Civic Theatre

04.03.14

Brighton-based Talking Scarlet have been touring this frenetic farce for a year or more, and hope to extend its life into 2015 …

There's certainly plenty of AirMiles left in the old Caravelle, and Patric Kearns' stylish production reminds us of what a success it's had, from its opening in 1962 to a star-studded revival of 2007.

The set is sophisticated 70s Parisian, though the performances are less subtle generally, with lots of supercharged shouting and meticulous slapstick.

The three mini-skirted cyphers who make up Bernard's “international harem” are played with a shameless sense of fun by Ciara Janson [Air France], Zoie Kennedy [Lufthansa] and Kim Tiddy [TWA].

Their fiancé is “Parisian bachelor” Ben Roddy, his ordered timetable trashed by turbulence and new technology. But the evening really belongs to Philip Stewart, as his unpolished provincial friend – a fine, manic physical performance – and Anita Graham as his seen-it-all cynical housekeeper, a welcome oasis of subtlety in a stormy night.