

Alan Ayckbourn may well be approaching his mid-80s but there is little evidence that the Yorkshire-born playwright has any intention of stopping anytime soon.
Show and Tell is the 90th drama to surface from his prolific pen and there are few who would bet against him reaching his dramatic century of plays in the not-too-distant future.
Jack Bothridge (Bill Champion) is an aging former MD of a highly-successful department store and has clearly seen better days. Living alone with his wife Alice, he lives in a past which is largely imaginary. In this world he was the kind patriarch to his employees and treated them to regular social functions.
The truth is that Jack was a far from model employer especially as he sold his business without advising his employees of the store’s imminent closure. However, one of his Department Heads remains loyal. Ben Wilkes (Paul Kemp) remains alongside his former boss although it is difficult to conceive why he does so. Used as a skivvy and bullied into losing endless games of chess, the self-effacing man had dreams that were thwarted by his parents.
The humdrum lifestyle is interrupted by the arrival of Peter Reader (Richard Stacey) who is touting for business for a theatre company. Despite some initial confusion, Jack realises that the company will produce a play in the Bothridge home and thinks that would be an ideal birthday treat for his wife who doesn’t get out much.
Despite many misgivings from Reader and arguments with the current owner of the Homelight Theatre Company Harry Golding (Frances Marshall) regarding the viability of staging the drama, Golding realises that that the income is desperately needed to prevent the group established by her parents from going bankrupt.
Golding gets Jack to sign the contract and, despite the reluctance of star actor Reader and indifference of young hopeful Steph Tate (Olivia Woodhouse) the contract is signed and the cast arrive for the birthday treat.
It is now that the secrets are revealed. Why does Alice hide away in the bedroom? What was Ben’s youthful career choice? What terrible thing did he do that makes him obliged to slave for Jack? And will a ragtag Theatre Company pull through to perform?
The casting is impeccable with Champion, Kemp, Stacey and Marshall all perfect in their roles and Woodhouse being assured on her professional debut. The script is attacked with a gusto that brings the best out of Ayckbourn’s words as he produces a play that allows the audience to reminisce about the early days of theatre in the round that were Ayckbourn’s introduction to the theatre world.
There are many minor themes running through the drama. The onset of dementia and how ageing removes the power and self-control, the financial problems besetting those in the theatrical world and the subsequent depression of professional actors and the desperate need to cling on to the past come what may.
However, all comes right in the end as the play-within-a-play provides a perfect solution. The show must go on and human spirit means that Man rises to the challenges presented.
However, if the audience member does not wish to search for hidden meaning, then this play can be enjoyed as pure entertainment. There are many laugh-out-loud moments and, with the characters being oh so believable the onlooker can easily identify and empathise with them as they recognise friends and family from their own real world.
Alan Ayckbourn has now been introducing his work for the theatre-goer for 65 years. With Show and Tell he has proved that his star is yet to wane. This is another finely-crafted work that kept the opening night audience highly entertained. As ever, it was a joy to attend another performance from a playwright who remains relevant to the theatrical world.
Show and Tell has a running time of approximately 2 hours 30 minutes including interval and continues until October 26th. For ticket information contact tickets@newvictheatre.org or 01782 717962