Habeas Corpus

Critiqued by Holly Bartges

Everything you have heard to date about Habeas Corpus currently playing at Golden’s Miners Alley Playhouse is absolutely a 100% truth. Habeas Corpus written by Alan Bennett is one of the “Honest Funny” productions ever seen.

With a golden cast of zany talented actors directed by Richard H. Pegg, the British Farce rattles the theatre walls with its perfected timing (an absolute requirement), out of the ballpark characterizations, and “hilariousity” that will not quit even when the ribs scream “Whoa-give us a break!!!!”.

Kestrel Burley as Connie, Adam Perkes as Dennis & Theresa Reid as Mrs. Swabb in Miner Alley’s production of Habeas Corpus Photo Credit: Richard H. Pegg

Verle Hite gives one of his finest performances I have seen, and he has given some good ones. He plays Dr. Arthur Wicksteed, an aging somewhat happily married man, a good doctor with roving eyes and panting tongue for beauty; beauty that comes with long graceful legs and skimpy clothing. He finds it with Felicity Rumpers played by the beautiful actor, Bethany Lillis. Lillis fills Felicity’s shoes, and then some, with coy charm, exuberant rebellion, and playful oozing sensual sexuality.

Her rebellion comes from her mother’s straight-laced, buttoned-up, flared, over dramatic stance that the world is her oyster, as long as everything is buttoned-up and on the straight and narrow.

Who else could bring this wild-eyed lady of pretentious morality to life than Deborah Persoff? Even before Lady Rumpers makes it to the edge of the stage, the audience goes wild with anticipation. Lady Rumpers does not disappoint, demanding and getting space for her cloistered body to flaunt and romp. Attention she wants. Attention she gets. Playing Lillis and Persoff together on opposite sides of the fence was a brilliant casting decision.

Muriel, Wicksteed’s wife sticks it to Arthur’s side in her own way. Let him play silly old fool, she parades her own fling with Sir Percy Shorter, Wicksteed’s once-upon-a-time rival.

Lindsay Pierce’s take on Muriel is rich to behold. Jon Diack slips easily into Shorter’s shoes, holding a key to a conundrum until the very end.

The play opens with Arthur speaking to the audience, announcing, “He wants me to tell him he’s not going to die.” He then turns to his son Dennis, and with cock-eyed authority tells him, “Your not going to die.” Dennis, wondrously played by Adam Perkes, a dyed-in-the-wool hypochondriac, is convinced he has every disease imaginable, every known and unknown allergy, and any second he is going to keel over. Sad. Lonely, desperate, out of place, Dennis hysterically feeds on the attention he can get with every last breath inhaled.

The Cast of Habeas Corpus. Photo Credit: Richard H. Pegg

Although Arthur lusts after Felicity, she falls for this poor sickly boy, turning him into a bright-eyed bushy-tailed isn’t-love-grand young man.

With all of the flamboyancy bobbing around this small group of people living the highlife during the “Swinging Sixties” in the London upscale suburb of Howe, another country is heard from. The plain, downtrodden, Constance Wicksteed, Arthur’s epitomized old maid sister. Kestrel Burkey flaunts her plainness as openly as Lady Bumpers flaunts her flamboyancy. Love surrounds her. She just doesn’t know what to do with it. Canon Throbbing wants to marry her. For the run, Nathan Bock has played the role of Throbbing, and I hear he is superb.  The cast raved about him. However, on the second night of the run, Bock got bitten by a mean sick-bug, and was unable to perform. At the last minute, the very last minute, at 7:28 with a 7:30 curtain, Pegg needed to step in. After the show, he walked by and pointed a finger at me saying, “don’t mention me.” Mention him I must. Pegg wasn’t even supposed to be there as he was leaving for Arizona early the next morning. For a last minute decision to save the show, Pegg was brilliant, and credit must be given where credit is due. Of course, as director, he knew the blocking, although the lines weren’t as down pat as the good Reverend demanded. With professional ingenuity, Canon Throbbing carried an open Bible with the script inside. With the much needed fast timing of characters running on and off stage in the blink of an eye, even the slightest slip up could turn this farce into a 50 car pile up. That didn’t happen. Whatever adjustments needing to be made, were handled in a nano eye blink. This highly professional cast treated the unexpected change as though it was part of the script. In anther time and place what could have been a train wreck, turned into a thrilling ride on the Orient Express. But, oh, it would take Canon Throbbing a good long while to convince the loathsome thinking Constance to realize love sat on her shoulder.

Yes, with all a farce has to offer, Habeas Corpus includes a great deal of misinformation, confusion, rattled minds, twisted tales, sexual innuendoes, and mistaken identities. However, the mistaken identities in this case are truly very funny.

So where does the title Habeas Corpus come into play? Generally speaking, the term refers in legalese from the Greek to mean, “You may have the body”. Can a court detain someone suspected of murder if no body can be found? This case is as un-legalese as one can get. Yes, “you may have the body” fits, but the question refers to Felicity and her oozing lusciousness turning Arthur into a lecherous slobbering man, and who also awakens Dennis’ sleeping sexuality.

The set designed by Pegg, sets the scene on a sandy oceanfront. The small beach cabins sport their own unique names. Although the names can’t be read very well from the audience, and you wonder for a moment why there are three doors never used, it technically doesn’t matter. In the middle of the rehearsal process an emergency arose demanding Pegg’s attention elsewhere.  Assistant director, Missy Moore stepped in and the cast stepped up to the plate doubling their energy to ensure the success of Habeas Corpus. The cast spoke highly of Moore and crewmembers spoke highly of the cast. So this might embarrass someone. Let it. Credit must be given where credit is due.

Professionalism needs to be underscored when behind the scenes actions happen without audience knowledge. In the midst of knowing, a couple of unreadable signs on the set mean nothing. Except for before the show jumps into action, no one has time or wants to take time to ponder signs. This stunning, admirable cast sees to that.

Ann Piano’s outrageous costume design sets the “Swinging Sixties” characters flying high with a brilliant portrait of color, and questionable taste, fitting the characters perfectly, allowing the actors to flaunt their stuff with glee. In a couple of scenes, for Felicity, the less the merrier. Karalyn “Star” Pytel’s lighting design dances arm in arm and hand in hand with the whipped up nonsensical rambunctious escapades Bennett’s characters design.

To miss this show is a crime against the spirit’s wanting to laugh for the sheer pleasure of laughing with its cockeyed schemes and exquisite actors.

Habeas Corpus
By Alan Bennett; Directed by Richard H. Pegg