Recommended by: Caroline

4-1/2 stars

I wish I’d started on a day when I could have read the entire play in one day. I was able to read Act 1 one day and Act 2 the next day and that worked well enough. It’s a quick read.

The print in my (this) edition is so tiny that it did slow me down a bit. It was hard for me to read. This edition does have illustrations at the end, of the stage set and of a special effect.

Thanks to a recommendation and some urging from GR friend Caroline, I finally read this very funny and entertaining play. I’m so glad that I got to it, eventually.

I chortled my way through it and there were a few times I burst into laughter. It was fun to read. I found it to be wickedly funny, smart, and witty. Uplifting too! I had a couple issues with the ending and enjoyed the first act more than the second, but overall it has a wonderful resolution, with an extra twist at the end. It’s mostly a very silly story but it’s smart, and there is also seriousness and a lot of heart. Especially in the first act it reminded me a bit of The Importance of Being Earnest, and that is high praise since it’s probably my favorite play.

It looks as though at least one full-length (high school) performance of the play and excerpts from at least one professional production are available to watch online. It’s tempting to watch it/some of it. I’d love to see it performed. ( )

This is an old chestnut of the amateur theatre circuit. All the counties in our area put this on regularly. It's a goofy show, but a great vehicle for a physical comedian. Wish we had one in our production.

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