Suited for satire
The upcoming South African production of Jeeves & Wooster In Perfect Nonsense! is based on PG Wodehouse's books written in the thirties.
This year, The Duke of York’s Theatre production of the play won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.
What makes the material so enduring?
“It’s Wodehouse himself,” says Graham Hopkins, who plays Jeeves in the new Steven Stead-directed version. “I grew up reading the novels.”
“Yes,” says Stead. “He had an extraordinarily refined wit. His characters are so recognisable they leap off the page – and the fact this show is a composite of several of the novels’ plots means a wide audience will be familiar with the stories.”
AT YOUR SERVICE. Jeeves (Graham Hopkins, left) is always on hand to keep Bertie Wooster (Jonathan Roxmouth) on the straight and narrow. Pictures: Supplied
Robert Fridjhon, who plays Seppings, Jeeves’ help in the carrying out of his duties, says: “All you need to understand is the relationship between a butler and a gentleman. It’s Downton Abbey: The Pantomime.”
The familiarity with those themes, thanks to modern TV shows, may help with the communication of the theme of class differences (parodied, as much as celebrated) playing out on stage.
“It’s all about massive tragedies – such as misplacing a silver objet d’art,” says Jonathan Roxmouth, who plays Bertie Wooster, the foolish fop at the centre of the story. “There’s something charming about it. Worrying, too …”
BRITISH HUMOUR. From left: Graham Hopkins, Jonathan Roxmouth and Robert Fridjhon in Jeeves & Wooster In Perfect Nonsense!
“The whole play-within-a-play is facilitated by two servants. It’s a metaphor for Bertie’s life,” says Stead.
“Downton Abbey has been vilified in some quarters for romanticising these relationships,” says Hopkins. “This piece lampoons it. One line sums it up well: ‘We do not fear those whom we despise.'”
The three actors head back to the rehearsal area. It’s a simple construction with tape on the floor to suggest stage dimensions and the occasional prop. The transformation as they begin is sublime: a simple recreation centre becomes first an English country road and then a manor house.
The trio’s chemistry is evident – both when the dialogue is free-flowing and when a cue is missed and good-natured cussing ensues.
Stead’s notes are minor, but deliberate, adding to the flow.
His enthusiasm matches that of his cast, as their constant switching of characters and improvisation to cover gaps prompts belly laughs from Stead – a sure sign of the quality of the piece, given he has been through it all repeatedly.
For the performers, the pace is brutal. Just keeping up requires being supremely gifted. Watching them is a joy; a tonic.
Would it be fair to call Jeeves & Wooster In Perfect Nonsense! a “formal farce”?
“The premise is: ‘How hard can theatre be?’ and there’s an agreement between the servants to save the day,” says Hopkins.
“When the two of them get it right, it’s magical; when they get it wrong, it’s hysterical,” says Roxmouth.
