Jealousy, humiliation, deceit and betrayal are on the menu as Limelight Theatre serves up the deliciously dark comedy The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband.
Written by Debbie Isitt and directed by Barry Lefort, the story follows Kenneth who has been married to Hilary for 20 years.
When he finds himself in the arms of Laura, his little fling quickly becomes out of hand and his life soon becomes a tangled web of lies.
Hilary invites Kenneth and Laura over for dinner – but Kenneth is unaware of the delicacies she has on offer.
“The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband is the sort of play I love with all its black comedy,” Barry said.
“There’s also the challenge of getting a small cast to be so many characters, embracing the savage emotional input and an innocence which keeps the play alive and real.
“All those emotions give an entirely new meaning to the old adage ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’.”
Given the nature of the play, Barry confessed to not having done this style of direction before.
“To be true to the script I will try to ensure the fast pace is maintained throughout the show with scene changes achieved through blackouts and music,” Barry said.
“There are no props except for a table and three chairs but the action is continuous and all actions are mimed.
“The actors remain on stage throughout but are isolated by spotlights.”
A life member of Stirling Theatre, Barry joined the group in 1974 after emigrating from England and has directed and performed in a plethora of plays over the years, including several at Limelight Theatre.
“The script for The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband was given to me and I immediately loved it,” Barry said.
“I like the earthy way Debbie Isitt writes and thought this play would give me the opportunity to direct a show true to how I believe Debbie would want.
“It’s set in north country England with a middle-aged man finding himself in the arms of a younger woman and has plenty of elements with rich, black humour.”
UPDATE: 24-01-22 This show has been cancelled.
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