Perth

The team at Toyota got it right with the Camry, yes, almost certainly a car enthusiast probably finds them bland, but the general consumer sees them as incredibly reliable, comfortable and economical – perfection.

The sweeping magnificent twin lead guitars of ‘Hotel California’ are undoubtedly a masterpiece, yet in terms of pop music, the perfect package is probably the Pomus, Leiber, Stoller song, ‘She’s Not You.’ Pleasantly innocuous on paper, the recorded package with brilliant studio musos and the Jordanaires backing Presley’s soaring tenor voice, turns the ballad into perfection, which leads me to Barry Park’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s TABLE MANNERS, currently playing at the Old Mill Theatre, South Perth.

Ayckbourn churns these plays out seemingly to order (92 so far). TABLE MANNERS is the first play in a trilogy making up THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, featuring the same characters in different situations. You know what you’re getting with an Ayckbourn play – classic late 20th century English tragicomedy, inevitably skewering the middle class, a genre that has become the go – to staple for theatre groups in the UK and Oz.

Certainly TABLE MANNERS is a very safe choice for the Old Mill, indeed I am told the season was sold out before opening night. Without exception, audience members I talked to on opening night were loving the play. One chap telling me they come often to the Old Mill Theatre for exactly the sort of play Ayckbourne writes.

Whilst the play is very definitely suited to an older, more traditional audience demographic (there were a lot of UK accents in the audience), Barry Park and his team have put together a masterclass in theatre production. Like Toyota’s Camry and Presley’s song, the play may not be to everyone’s taste, however it is meticulously crafted, staged and presented – perfection.

George Boyd, along with Barry and Julie Gordin, have created a startlingly good, clever, clean, effective set and Mark Nicholson as lighting designer got it right – simple and crisp is never as easy as it sounds. 

Park’s casting is impeccable, as indeed is the blocking – director and actors need to know what they’re doing with backs to the audience – hats off to Samuel Yeo and Ian Staunton for that scene. I found it hard to fault any of the cast – comic timing was excellent, a shirt catching on a chair, a napkin falling to the ground were handled with beautiful aplomb.

Emily Howe plays the frustrated Annie, the only one of her siblings burdened with caring for her mother, (who we never see, but quickly understand is hard work). Emily’s facial and body movements seemed a touch exaggerated in the first act, but otherwise she gives a faultless performance. Alinta Carroll as Sarah spoke so quickly and constantly, during the first act, that I wasn’t sure what she was saying and my head began to spin. I eventually realised she was perfectly in character, as her long suffering husband, Reg, played to perfection by Christopher Hill, dolefully complained. Samuel Yeo as the hapless vet Tom and Ian Staunton as the lecherous Norman (THE NORMAN CONQUESTS!) played marvellous comic foils. The last to appear was Louis Fishwick as Ruth, Norman’s career – obsessed wife, wonderfully believable.

I found the first act a bit tedious and slightly difficult in terms of working out who was who – a script issue rather than anything to do with the actors and I should confess I’m not an Ayckbourn fan. However the second act appealed more and I found myself laughing at several lines, as the characters were exposed. Everyone seemed to gel in that second act, the pace picked up and lines flowed perfectly. But hey, this was opening night, I suspect act one will tighten right up on the second night, these are top notch actors.

Merri Ford has costumed the cast perfectly – I took the era to be late 60s / early 70s and stage management under Andre Beidatsch was seamless. It would also be remiss of me not to mention the well-matched music score written by local composer, Myles Wright.

It really was very satisfying to see such smooth, professional expertise in action. If I was teaching drama, I’d bring my students to this production. Congratulations to everyone involved. Genre perfection.

Greg Ross

To book tickets to Table Manners, please visit https://www.oldmilltheatre.com.au/2026season.

Photographer: Cam Dobie

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