Rookery Nook keeps the laughs coming

Rookery Nook is a comedy by Ben Travers, that was originally written and performed in England. Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 7:30pm, Rookery Nook opened its first performance at the Redeemer University College theatre directed by Raymond Louter, and performances ran until Saturday, March 27, 2010. The performance on Thursday, March 25, managed to captivate its audience in a way that left the audience wanting more. We were often compelled to laugh at the ridiculous costumes, characters, or situations that made the play. Raymond Louter's performance of Rookery Nook was the talk of the community and challenged many of its audience members to consider the seriousness of some of our own situations.

The entire play revolved around how the two cousins, Clive and Gerald Popkiss, who were played by Talor Evans and Stephen Siemens respectively, dealt with the young woman who had been kicked out of her home, Rhoda Marley, by Amanda Walker. The audience quickly realized that Clive and Gerald dealt with the issues regarding Rhoda more seriously than they probably needed too, which makes the humour of the play. The issues are blown out of proportion, from which more smaller issues arise, that are taken even more seriously than the main issue. These two young men found themselves in many uneasy situations, that we as the audience find simply hilarious. However, if we were to be in their places, we probably would not have been laughing.

Sarah Lynn Blair, Stephen Siemens, and Taylor Evans perform in Rookery Nook. Photo by Nathan Giancola

Rookery Nook is a comedy, and as most comedies do, it makes us laugh. Through exaggerated responses to minor details and characters types to the extremes, Rookery Nook not only entertains its audience, but challenges us to consider how often we may overreact, or blow our problems out of proportion. Raymond Louter's performance of Rookery Nook further provokes us as the audience to consider what character, or characters, are we most like. Are we like the young, innocent, Rhoda, or ignorant, silly, Gerald. We could also be like the arrogant, vain, Gertrude Twine, Gerald's sister in law, or Putz, Rhoda's angry, controlling step-father. Though we may not find ourselves exactly like either one of these characters, we can see parts of ourselves in each one of them.

Rookery Nook encourages its audience to see past the humour and to entertain the idea that, perhaps the characters and the problems presented on stage, are a part of the North American society today. Perhaps, this play was to encourage us to step back sometimes and to consider how our reactions to our problems may look to others around us. This play is supposed to do two things; Rookery Nook is supposed to help its audience laugh at themselves once in a while and to loosen up when faced with an insignificant problem. Raymond Louter accomplished the objectives of the play very well.

Louter used some pretty ridiculous costume designs, which added to the goal of the performance, as well as the humour. Poppy Dickey's costume, who was played by Paige Louter, was especially ridiculous, but the eye catching costume helped to create an attention deprived character, who only wanted some attention, from anyone. Many of us can identify with needing attention. Even though that particular costume may have seemed unnecessary to the audience, Raymond Louter and his costume designer, Bethany McMurray, realized the necessity of the wild costume to help create that character type.

Rookery Nook was a wonderful experience that kept the audience laughing as they exited the theatre. This comedic play kept its audience on its toes waiting to see what might happen next. It was a worth while experience that I would encourage anyone to see, if the opportunity ever presented itself. If you're simply looking for a good laugh at some ridiculous characters, or trying to discover where you fit in in today's society, Rookery Nook is the perfect show.

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