Constant Companions at the Stephen Joseph Theatre

 

Mark Brown, who appears to be an occasional theatre critic for the Daily Telegraph, didn’t think much of Sir Alan Ayckbourn's new play, Constant Companions, at the Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough. Brown complains that the play adopts the comic tone of a Carry On film and that the humour is “old hat.” I took a different and much more favourable view. OK there was the usual helping of slapstick but this, particularly in the case of sex-starved Don, eager to assemble his mail order sex robot, was pure pathos. More often the triple plot was uncomfortably funny with some very good acting. The ending, typical of Ayckbourn, was a little rushed for me but still provoking. My advice: judge for yourself. We had a most enjoyable afternoon and, judging by the buzz from the audience as we left the theatre, Mark Brown seems to be somewhat out of step with the paying customers.