PG Wodehouse comes to town

Taproot Theatre put on a fun matinee Saturday. The play Jeeves in Bloom reintroduced me to classic PG Wodehouse characters: the English aristocratic airhead Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves. (The show runs through March 2 and is almost sold out. Click for tickets here.)

Photos by Eric Stuhaug

My husband and I fell in love with PG Wodehouse's satire-filled humor after watching Jeeves and Wooster, a BBC TV show (1990-93) starring Hugh Laurie (House) and Stephen Fry. I was delighted to see that Taproot was putting on a production about the famed duo.

As usual, the cast seemed to enjoy their roles. Starting with "Aunt Dalia's" summons for Wooster to join her at her country house, we were hooked. "Aunt Dalia" (Kim Morris) had us in paroxysms of laughter with her loud guffaws and great body acting. Matt Shimkus played the comic butler-know-it-all and Aaron Lamb had fun with Bertie's part. Highlights included a hilarious scene of lip-synching courtship, satirical comments on dress, values, and relationships, and the unfailingly beautiful vocabulary. (I miss British English since our 6-month stint in Cambridge.)

The show combined the best of Wodehouse's novels, setting the action of upper-crust culture, 1920s slang, and literary references in an English garden. The more literate the audience, the more fun the play!

Audience reception was fervent and enthusiastic. We were laughing within minutes, sometimes astonished at the play's cleverness, sometimes with pure pleasure at the understated satire.

I recommend this for Wodehouse fans as well as those who need a hearty chuckle or two. Take a friend and enjoy the show! (Click here to buy tickets.)

Media tickets provided the reviewer.