DIRECTED by Judith Dredge

California Suite, all set in the same hotel suite in Beverly Hills, California, presents a series of witty, frequently hilarious, but always penetrating, observations of human nature in late 20th. century western society.
It is a tribute to the writer's skill that he has succeeded, in masterly fashion, in inducing laughter while exposing the weaknesses and shallowness, and the pathetic vulnerability, of so many modern relationships.
These range from the insincere barbed banter of sophisticated high-flyers; the farcical attempts of a middle-aged, middle-class couple to preserve normal, civilised communication in the presence of the most devastating and incongruous consequences of a husband's folly; to the coarseness -of language and behaviour - of the socially inadequate when their ambitions and fierce competitiveness are frustrated. It is also a tribute to the Ross Operatic and Dramatic Society that it can muster a cast of eleven actors with the skills necessary to do justice to the emotions, actions and dialogue of the characters who convey this dissection of human foibles. All play their parts well, and with appropriate verve and pace. There are no weak links or embarrassing hiatuses, and the audience's attention is never allowed to flag.

Ann Stirrup gives a convincing portrayal of the highly successful brittle intellectual whose Dorothy Parker style repartee hides the fear beneath her apparent lack of emotion.
Derek Wood as her former husband provides an excellent foil to her wit, surprising the audience with some memorable inversions of standard expressions, such as, "I went sane", and "I don't want to interrupt your train of venom."

Joanna Hicks is particularly successful as the betrayed wife, her determination to remain dignified descending finally into pathos on receiving a phone call from her children, but even then bravely bounces hilariously between hang-over and panic as the hapless husband - Mike Ball - trying vainly to prevent detection of his philandering.
And Pat Jones, the hooker, silent and motionless throughout this rollicking episode, is to be congratulated and deserves any award that may be available for "sleeping partners"!

Avril Farley and Tony Hearn capture the mood swings of a British screen actress and her artistic husband in Hollywood for Oscar award ceremonies, pre-ceremony nerves giving way to inebriated frustration, with verbal exchanges slowly revealing the complications of an unconventional relationship which nevertheless has an enduring tenderness.

In the final episode, Angela Mason, Nigel Patrick, Anne Catcheside and Paul Delaney cope magnificently with the burlesque of the clumsy and incredibly combative foursome on vacation from Chicago.

The success of this production, with its action moving back and forth between the bedroom and sitting room of a hotel suite, owes much to the design and construction of the set.

The first episode, Visitor from New York, centred on Hannah Warren (Ann Stirrup) and her ex-husband Billy (Derek Wood). The pathos and wit was well-handled by the two actors and the accents stayed stable throughout.

Visitors From Philadelphia saw a hilarious Goodfellas-inspired turn from Mike Ball as Marvin Michaels. Joanna Hicks gave a solidly funny performance as his jet-lagged wife Millie.

Visitors from London, a poignant tale of frustrations and compromise, was delivered with panache and verve by Avril Farley as Oscar-losing actress and Tony Hearn as her sexually ambivalent husband Sydney.

A frenetic closing scene saw two couples losing their tempers and their minds demonstrating, quite comprehensively, that hell is other people.

The set was impressively constructed by Ken Farley and Ron Ing - making the tiny Phoenix Theatre stage seem almost palatial.
Director Judith Dredge managed to strike just the right balance, not going too far over the top with either the farce or the melodrama, and producing a touching and hilarious piece of theatre.