It Runs In The Family Review - The Spalding Guardian

Spalding Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society's (SADOS) latest performance was not one for the prudish.

But "It Runs in the Family", written by Ray Cooney, was the first play I have ever seen where, at times, my fiancee Emma literally could not speak because she was laughing so much.

Directed by Mark Yates and produced by Elaine and Andrew Deathridge, the play revolves around Dr Mortimore (Ben White) and his attempt to deliver a potentially knighthood worthy speech to a team of delegates.

Disaster arrives in the form of Nurse Tate (Jo Carling), who throws his mind into disarray by revealing he has a son – the result of a torrid affair 18 years ago – and he is downstairs waiting to see his father.

His attempts to stagnate the meeting fail and within minutes he is writhing like an eel on a hook as he constructs an elaborate series of lies and counter lies.

He becomes a clergyman and a female matron, there is a bus to Camden, a fatal fall in the Himalayas, various people or animals called Leslie who aren't actually called Leslie and a roving patient with a soda spray.

Several scenes were enough to make even a man of the world blush but there were some hilarious performances, including multi-tasking Dr Bonnie (Brett Moore), unhinged goth Leslie (Zack Colam) and a real favourite in naughty patient Bill (Nigel Hancocks).

The mess resolves itself in the end and everyone is happy, especially the audience.