“On no, not Again”- English-style music hall comedy in Bellrock

Oct 01, 2014

Fans of old-style English music hall humour are sure to enjoy an evening of skits, songs and dance courtesy of the five-member cast of “On No, Not Again”.

The play, a collection of comedic pieces, is the brain child of long-time pals Dick Miller and Peter Lovett, who have been acting together for over 14 years. The two wrote and directed the play, which is actually now in its fourth installment. The original was formulated seven years ago and has been put on for audiences in Kingston and also at the Selby Theatre. The skits include many clever costume changes, which I will not reveal here, and which form the basis for some very entertaining sight gags, racy conversations and classic old-school English shenanigans. Both Miller and Lovett are stage chameleons of sorts, as comfortable sporting their talents as Elvis tribute artists as they are bundled up and bonneted in cotton onesies or boasting black and white habits.

The two gentlemen's antics are buoyed by their two female counterparts, Miller's daughter Lisa Wilberforce and her long time acting pal Julia McKay, who have also worked together before onstage. Some of their primo offerings include a funny musical take on Canadian nationalism, a new and interesting way of cementing the nine times table and some top notch musical faves that they perform with aplomb.

And we cannot forget the lovely and talented Sandy Turcotte, who plays a hard to please accompanist. She also has some very powerful vocal stylings of her own and caustic one-liners to add into the mix. The evening includes one intermission and Miller describes the show as “ a fast-paced evening of entertainment that will keep people laughing.”

Comedy is one of the toughest of stage genres to nail and timing is of course of the essence. Both male and female leads were able to work on their parts independently of the others before bringing them together in five weeks of final rehearsals, which made for a night of seamless back-to-back fun.

The actors’ wives, Jan and Debbie, work hard behind the scenes on costumes, props and sets and behind the lights are Howard and Lynne Hutcheson.

For those who missed this weekend’s performances, the show continues on with three more: Friday & Saturday, Oct. 3 & 4 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2 pm at the Schoolhouse Theatre in Bellrock.