Bangkok Community Theatre’s (BCT or Thailand's longest-running producer of English-language theatre) latest production is a 1988 comedy by America’s most prolific playwright Neil Simon.

"It's very satisfying, for me as a director, to hear an audience laugh, particularly in the right places," says the director Angela Daniel.

"BCT had staged four other Neil Simon plays over the years—the last one being ‘The Odd Couple: Female Version’ in 2003—and all were very well received, so we’re well overdue for another."

I’ve seen several Neil Simon plays performed before, but never this one.  Many of Neil Simon plays are semi-autobiographical and dwell on nostalgia or sentimentality; however, ‘Rumours’ pretends to be nothing more than pure comic farce, and it even becomes quite slapstick at times. I read through many plays and comedies, including others by Neil Simon, before choosing ‘Rumours’—but this one really tickled my funny bone. I thought it was perfect for an evening of dinner-theatre.  It's filled with one-liners, wacky personalities, character traits, and visual gags—in fact, pure entertainment!"

We couldn’t agree more after we read the play’s synopsis. Well-to-do couples gather in the posh suburban residence for the tenth anniversary celebration dinner party, only to find that there are no servants and the hostess is missing. Plus, the host, the deputy mayor of New York City, has shot himself. Now, they’re trying every possible way to conceal the events from the local police and the media.

Although Daniel’s last two stage works are light operettas, Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Pirates of Penzance" (2006) and "Trial by Jury" (2007), our laughter then have proved that the director is highly keen on comic timing, and so this move to comedy comes quite natural.

"I love Neil Simon because not only does he write great comedies with wonderful characters but he also has the ability to create humour from the lives and troubles of everyday people.  We don't just laugh at the jokes, we laugh because we recognise ourselves or people we know, and yes, the matters and jokes are universal.  His plays have been translated into dozens of languages so his humour crosses many cultures.  The lines he writes also have a rhythm and tempo which are very satisfying."

Despite the fact ‘Rumours’ is broad farce, it still involves realistic characters. The story revolves around 4 successful and affluent couples, who when faced with some unaccustomed social pressures and possible scandal, revert to their neurotic and insecure selves!"

Finally, Daniel gives us a peak into the rehearsal room: "We’re lucky to have an extremely talented cast, with a good deal of experience between them. They’ve all been having great fun with the characters and we've spent a lot of time laughing during rehearsals! I hope the audience will find it as funny as we do! Neil Simon is also the master of the 'one-liners' and very fast-paced humour and this takes skill as well as practise. I am delighted that our cast are up to the task."

"Rumours" runs from Thursday, May 22 through Wednesday, May 28—no performance on Sunday May 25—at the British Club in Silom Soi 18.

Presented as dinner-theatre, the fun evening starts with pre-dinner cocktails served on the lawn at 7pm (cash bar); followed by dinner at 7:30pm. Please note that tables are for 10, so they may be shared for parties of less than 10.

Tickets are Bt 1,000, including a 3-course buffet dinner. Advance reservation at 08 7598 1915 is a must, as no tickets will be available at the door. Please email rumours@sala.net, call 08 9006 5259, or click to www.bct-th.org for more info.

LATEST TICKET UPDATE:

May 22, 23, 24, and 27 tickets have already been sold out.

written by Pawit Mahasarinand

photos by David Quine, courtesy of Bangkok Community Theatre

special thanks to Bonnie Zellerbach for all assistance