Review: Taking Steps

A revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s farce Taking Steps is the second offering in the Stephen Joseph Theatre’s summer repertory season.

When the original premeired at Scarborough more than 35 years ago, ‘the laughter was so loud it broke the Tannoy system’. There was plenty of laughter this time, too, as the trials and tribulations of tongue-tied solicitor Tristram unfold as he attempts to effect the sale of a crumbling mansion. He stumbles into a domestic situation – dancer Elizabeth is planning to leave her rich husband Roland after a few months of married unbliss. Aiding and abetting her escape is her brother Mark – who is expecting a guest of his own, his flakey fiancee Kitty. He hopes to mend their fractured relationship.

Completing the ‘house party’ is shady builder Leslie who has financial woes which make the sale of the house imperative. After that the plot – which involves sleeping pills, misplaced notes, mistaken identity, misunderstandings, a thunderstorm, a ghost story and a woman locked in a cupboard – is the very height of silliness. To try and take it seriously and read too much into it is wasted energy – just let loose and go with the flow.

But do not underestimate just how cleverly constructed a farce this is – a case of light blue touch paper and watch it slowly burn until it ignites into fireworks two thirds of the way through.