POWASSAN — If you’re looking for an evening of family entertainment, you won’t want to miss the Powassan Players’ performance of Midsummer Mink at the Powassan Golden Sunshine Club. The show opened last weekend to full audiences, and continues this weekend on Friday and Saturday night.

Set in London, England, the play tells the story of an enterprising group of senior-titled ladies and their Brigadier friend. The group finds themselves financing their philanthropic endeavours by fencing hot furs.

Written by Peter Cole, and a sequel to the previous Powassan Players production Breath of Spring, the play has all the pithy lines of droll humour associated with a British farce. Yet it has none of the sexual overtones prevalent in that genre, making it an ideal production for the whole family.

The cast includes Powassan favourites Hugh Smith, Ellen Kidd, Joanne Paul, Shirley Moore and Carole Dobbs in the lead roles, but from the moment she makes her first entrance,  jingling her filled charity collection can, Dobbs dominates the stage as the determined and scheming Dame Beatrice. Her characterization, often reminiscent of the haughty Hyacinth Bucket (Patricia Routledge) of BBC Keeping up Appearances fame, was a perfect partnership for Paul’s much more reserved and calm approach as the obviously well bred Lady Alice.

Supporting the two, Ellen Kidd was convincingly befuddled, though not without her few moments of cunning. Moore’s best performances were when she took on cameo character impersonations of a southern belle, and an Italian countess, both of which brought the house down.

Smith, the regimental Brigadier controlling the action with a stopwatch and whistle, carried himself with a suitable military bearing, having some of the most cryptic lines. His delivery, however, was a bit slow, as was much of the dialogue. Faster biting of cues throughout the performance would have lent a better edge to the action, while more humour to the delivery of some of the lines would have given the entire performance a crispness that was lacking.

Supporting characters were well cast, with Liz Brooks playing the distraught maid Lily and Richard Paul as the Irish thief Michael Hogan. Although both appeared unsure of their lines at times, they are well suited to the parts and their interaction with the other characters never faltered.

Lily’s boyfriend, a policeman played by Ron Greenwood, was convincingly inept at detecting the illegal action surrounding him. Linda Lawrence as Mme. Chambert looked every bit the haute couture dress shop owner,  but her second role as the police inspector was weak and lacked conviction.

Working on a small stage, Moore, who directed the show, is to be commended for her succinct use of space and her ability to block the performance with limited sight line problems. Entrances and exits were smooth and the set, designed by Jim Kidd, is up to, or beyond, the standards set by any professional set designers.

A round of applause was deserving for the intricate inclusion of a hidden basket in the window flat which the ladies operated by use of a Venetian blind-type pulley.

Although no date was given for the performance setting, dialogue and costuming appeared to set the play in the late 1940s or early 1950s with only one glaring costume faux pas. At one point Lady Alice is told she can borrow one of Dame Beatrice’s evening gowns, worn “when I met Queen Mary (mother of George VI who died in 1953)” the Dame said.

Unfortunately, Lady Alice returns to the stage dressed in an obvious gown of the psychedelic late 1960s or early 1970s.

Despite their few misses, the cast and crew are to be commended for taking on the time consuming efforts needed to put together a full three-act production.

Powassan can be proud to have the advantage of enjoying live theatre in such a perfect home town venue as the historic former Town Hall. Those who miss out on this performance will have lost an opportunity for an enjoyable evening of entertainment.

To enquire about tickets for this weekend’s performances call Joanne Paul at 724-3430.