A Masterclass in Farce: Ray Cooney’s 1987 Comedy Brings Chaos and Laughter
By Eric Marchese
Farce might seem spur-of-the-moment, wild and crazy, and completely off the cuff, but it involves much more planning and creativity than it may appear at first glance.
Westminster Community Playhouse has made a point of revisiting the various farces of Ray Cooney, a British playwright, actor, and director who has penned a considerable number of farces.
Now, local audiences will be able to visit Westminster for “It Runs in the Family,” a 1987 Cooney comedy landing on the venue’s schedule for the first time.
An Affinity for Farce
Jessica Watson, the production’s producer, shared that WCP has previously produced “Run for Your Wife,” “Funny Money,” and “Caught in the Net.” She said Stephen Gomer, who is directing the upcoming show, “was a great fit for this production since he is familiar with the show from directing it before and trained in stunt work.”
As it transpires, Gomer is well familiar with “It Runs in the Family,” having directed it at Camino Real Playhouse in 2023.
Set in a hospital, “It Runs in the Family” contains genre-defining elements such as characters running in and out of doors and continuous instances of mistaken identity. While trying to deliver a lecture at an international conference, main character Dr. Mortimore constantly fends off not just a paternity suit but also his ex-lover, his punkish daughter, and a steady parade of lunatics.
Gomer said “exciting and funny” characters such as Mortimore’s ex-lover, punkish daughter, fellow doctors, and a nosy police sergeant “each has a reason for being here – and even though it’s the ‘right’ time for each of them, it’s always the wrong time for Dr. Mortimore.”
Who Is Ray Cooney?
Ray Cooney isn’t just a playwright but also an actor and director. However, considering how prolific he has been, it’s no wonder he’s thought of as a writer first and foremost. “Out of Order,” “Move Over Mrs. Markham,” “Not Now, Darling,” “Two Into One,” and “Tom, Dick and Harry” are just a few of his comedies.
His biggest success came with the 1983 farce “Run for Your Wife,” which, with its nine-year run, became the West End’s longest-running comedy. “It Runs in the Family” arrived four years later.
Cooney’s farces combine two specific aspects: complicated structures and the bawdiness traditional to British comedies. Characters leap to unsupported assumptions about one another, are forced to pretend to be someone other than themselves, and speak at cross-purposes to one another.
The French regard Cooney as the British equivalent of their own revered Georges Feydeau, whose wacky comedies are among the most popular in France. Many of Cooney’s plays have premiered or been revived in Paris.
The Approach Is an Art Form
Gomer enumerates what draws him to staging farces: “I love the fast-paced movement and constant bickering that keeps the pace and excitement in the show. I love the physical elements this show has. And I enjoy bringing it all to life.”
He also defines what it takes to make shows like this work: “In order to have a successful farce, one needs to keep the pace and story moving quickly, but without rushing the dialogue so that the audience can follow the story. Bringing vocal levels up when it's important or hushing them when something is about to be exposed. Keeping this roller-coaster ride constant.
He emphasizes “the physicality of the characters, whether it be actual physical elements like slips, falls, or slaps to facial movements such as looks, sneers, or spit takes.”
Gomer said he doesn’t “shy away from most things in a farce, but I am very aware of the pacing and speed needed to make a farce a farce.” Yet, “that doesn’t mean to speed-talk the dialogue. I am always working on slowing down the vocals while emphasizing cue pick-up and movements.”
The key challenge, Gomer said, “is not knowing what the audience will enjoy or what they’ll find over the top. Doing a farce is like walking a very fine line between very funny and dumb. I don’t want to do a long comic sketch, but instead a full-length comedy.”
And even something as seemingly superficial as farcical antics carries specific themes, which the director revealed to us: “Friendship and love for each other are two. So is understanding that people, whether right or wrong, have past issues they need to atone for.”
“I think people will see this when they see the extent to which people will go when covering something up – the way they go above what they are comfortable with so as to not hurt the feelings of another person.”
What Patrons Will See in Westminster
Gomer said what he finds “most enjoyable” in directing a show like “It Runs in the Family” is “watching the cast bring their characters to life and seeing how they attempt to get out of a situation.”
His cast features Jon Korbonski as Dr. Mortimore, Bobby D. Lux as Dr. Hubert Bonney, Laura Lejuwaan as Jane Tate, and Roxy Payne as Leslie.
They’re supported by Sina Siassi as Dr. Mike Connely, Jen Dibble as Rosemary Mortimore, Carissa Mace as Matron, Paul Hunn as Sir Willoughby Drake, Jack Millis as Police Sergeant, Dave Stevens as Bill, Judy Jones as Mother, and Lauren Regenhardt as Sister. Watson is the producer for a team that includes Maggie Korell as Gomer’s assistant director, Michael Corcoran as the set designer, and Jonny Strebe as stage manager.
Gomer hopes that “when patrons come to see this production, they will walk out laughing and feeling happy that they didn’t have to do what the actors did. The start of the show begins as any normal day, then quickly just goes off the rails. It’s a fun ride, and one I hope audiences will enjoy.”
Eric Marchese has written about numerous subjects for more than 40 years as a freelance and staff journalist at a wide variety of publications, but is best known as a critic, feature writer and news reporter covering theatre and the arts throughout Orange County and beyond.
‘It Runs in the Family’
Westminster Community Playhouse
7272 Maple St., Westminster
March 14 - March 30, 2025
(714) 893-8626, wcpstage.com
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