Norman Dewers is a librarian on a mission – to make women happy. The woman he is currently focused on happens to be his wife’s sister, Annie, who lives in the country and looks after her ailing mother. He has planned to take Annie away for an illicit weekend … but that plan is about to be thwarted. Sister-in-law Sarah, who had agreed to look after Mum in Annie’s absence, has wormed the truth out of Annie, and suddenly no one is going anywhere. Now everyone will be spending an uncomfortable weekend together, along with Norman’s wife, Ruth, who will be joining them in a day.
One country house, two sisters, one brother, two in-laws, one not-quite-suitor, one would-be gigolo, and endless comings, goings, and misunderstandings. It’s a recipe for utter hilarity, as Stage West presents all three plays of The Norman Conquests, by the master of British comedy, Alan Ayckbourn, beginning Thursday, March 19.
The Norman Conquests is actually a trilogy of plays – Table Manners, Living Together, and Round and Round the Garden. The genius of Ayckbourn is that he has written the trilogy so that each play can be enjoyed independently. But in combination (seen in any order), they create a fascinating web of events and secrets, along with entrances and exits worthy of high farce. To see one play makes for a riotous evening of theatre; to see all three more than triples the laughs.
Stage West will open one play per week, after which they will run in rotating rep, and there will be two marathon performance days (a hugely popular option when Stage West previously produced this piece) with dinner and dessert offered between shows.
What: The Norman Conquests
When: March 19 – April 26, 2009
Admission:
- Previews – First Two Performances of Each Play:
$15.00 – General Admission
- Friday & Saturday Evenings:
$28.00 – Adults
$24.00 – Students and Seniors 65 and over
- Thursday Evenings & Sunday Matinees:
$24.00 – Adults
$18.00 – Students and Seniors 65 and over
- Trilogy Marathons – April 19 & 26:
$95.00 – Adults
$75.00 – Students and Seniors 65 and over
Special Note: When purchasing tickets to individual plays, you will have two options. If you wish to dine in the Old Vic Café prior to the performance, please select a “Play & Café Reservation.” If you do not plan to eat in the café, kindly select “Play Only”.
