Stage Review - Jeeves Takes a Bow (Taproot Theatre)

Stage Review - Jeeves Takes a Bow
Presented By: Taproot Theatre, Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: Saturday, June 10, 2023
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

Have you ever heard someone utter the phrase “Home, Jeeves” offhandedly when leaving an engagement? Did you ever wonder where that came from, I mean the use of “Jeeves” as a catch-all for a butler or some other such servant? You’ve probably guessed where I’m going with this, but prior to taking in Jeeves Takes a Bow at Taproot Theatre this past Saturday, I never gave it much thought, sort of assuming that Jeeves was some sort of butler, but not really thinking much about where the reference came from. So, while I sat awaiting the show to start, it hit me, like one of those light bulb moments, this must be THAT Jeeves. It turns out that Jeeves is like the Kleenex of Butlers, maybe more akin to Mary Poppins in the world of fiction, one of those brands so popular in the zeitgeist that it takes on a representative role of the genre itself. First appearing in print in 1915, Jeeves is the creation of author P.G. Wodehouse, who continued to write stories about the character for sixty years, through 1974. To be clear, and for those Downton Abbey fans you’ll understand the nuance, Jeeves is a valet, and not a butler, as he is responsible for supporting one person and not a group or household. That one person in Jeeves’ world is the wealthy and not entirely competent Bertram Wilberforce Wooster, “Bertie” for short. What differentiates Jeeves from others in this role is his desire, and innate ability, not just to serve, but to solve the many problems that arise from the behavior of Bertie and his acquaintances. Always level headed and the smartest mind in the room, his knack for devising and executing plans to get his charge out of so many sticky wickets, and to do so while playing the straight to Bertie’s comedic bumbler, is a key component to both his popularity and longevity in print and in popular culture.

All and all, Jeeves appeared in 35 short stories and 11 novels written by Wodehouse. He’s also appeared in a number of film, television, radio, and stage adaptations. Playwright Margaret Raether adopted five Jeeves stories, including Jeeves Takes a Bow, the production I had the pleasure of taking in at Taproot Theatre’s Jewell Mainstage this past Saturday afternoon. The Taproot production of Jeeves Takes a Bow is directed by Scott Nolte and represents the regional professional premiere of this particular story. It’s a short piece with one setting, Bertie Wooster’s New York City apartment. This story does, in fact, find Londoner Bertie, along with Jeeves, in New York, where he runs into old friends Nigel Bingham-Binkersteth (“Binkey”) and his new flame, budding actress Ruby LeRoy, her less than above board manager “Knuckles” McCann, and family friend Vivienne Duckworth. Binkey has been assigned to the English Embassy in Washington, D.C., but has decided to make a detour through New York’s theatre scene, posing as Bertie and bringing the entire group into the world of showgirls and the seedy underbelly of the mob. What results is a spider web of mistaken identities, impromptu engagements, and the thought that any of them might be killed, or even worse, have their names dragged through the proverbial mud. It’s left to Jeeves to untangle the web, and if the situation itself isn’t funny enough, what transpires as Jeeves’ plan is executed is downright hilarious.

This is such a funny show, reaching into the comedy tool bag to combine slapstick, deadpan, wit, and satire. We usually don’t talk a lot about choreography when it comes to plays, that’s more the relegated to the palette of musicals, but in Jeeves, there is such a need for movement to land much of the humor, and the timing of it has to be perfect to drive home the joke that it really does seem like a well choreographed dance. Choreographer Beth Orme makes sure that Jeeves hands the cup of coffee to Bertie at the right time, and makes sure that Bertie and Binkey move across the stage to just the right place. And when push comes to shove, literarily, fight choreographer Matt Orme provides the right level of cast interaction while still managing to retain the comic impact of these scenes. If the moves aren’t in place, or executed well, it doesn’t work. Set design comes into play here as well. While the main set itself is largely constant, it’s the little things that make the difference, the bar cart from which Jeeves serves Bertie and his friends, the door to the patio of Bertie’s apartment, and all of the nooks and crannies that aren’t there for no reason, all of this designed by Richard Lorig. Further, for a play like this to work, it’s all about pace, and these creative pieces come together to inform the timing, and that timing keeps the play moving. It’s a short piece to begin with, at one hour, forty-five minutes, including intermission, but it seems so much shorter. What’s that they say about time flying? It surely applies here and this show will leave any audience member wanting more. Everything works here, truly like a well oiled machine.

Jeeves Takes a Bow is, at its heart, an ensemble piece. With each actor working together in perfect synchronicity, landing every line, delivering on every gag. It’s also a credit, though, to a number of excellent individual performances that come together in a synergistic fashion to up the level of the group as a whole. This starts with Richard Nguyen Sloniker as Jeeves. Boy, what an excellent Jeeves he is, too. Richard’s valet is perfect in posture and mannerism, always taking in and analyzing the crazy situations his charge has gotten himself into and calculating the best way to get him out. There’s a lot going on in this production at any one time, actors moving, dialogue flying, but some of the most enjoyable moments come from the raising of an eyebrow, or the lifting of the corner of Jeeves’ mouth as if to smirk at Bertie and what he’s gotten himself into. Richard, as Jeeves, would be enjoyable to watch in any context, but here it’s as if he’s delivering a masterclass in how to completely buy into and portray a particular character. Contrasting Richard’s straight delivery as Jeeves is the bumbling Bertie, played excellently here by Calder Jameson Shilling. It’s clear from the outset how good this performance is as well. This is given away first by the accent, sort of that upper crust English that you’d expect out of this character, but exaggerated just the right amount for comedic effect. The beauty of the humor here is in its delivery. These characters all take themselves extremely seriously, none more so than Bertie, and Calder does this as well as anyone in this show. Miguel Castellano plays Binkey as himself and pretending to be Bertie. Miguel is very good on his own, but really shines in the scenes he shares with Calder’s Bertie. It’s an excellent chemistry between the two of them, and Miguel’s ability to deliver the physical side of this character’s humor is uncanny.

Filling out the cast are Claire Marx as showgirl Ruby LeRoy, understudy Mark Waldstein as “Knuckles” McCann, and Kelly Karcher as Bertie’s family friend Vivienne Duckworth. Both Ruby and Knuckles are exaggerated New York stereotypes and are both extremely funny. Add to that, Claire’s ability to sing when called upon in Act 2 and hers is a top notch performance. Mark is a solid mobster type, whether he’s looking out for his client Ruby or wanting to “plug” someone (anyone!), he’s very good. Kelly’s Vivienne is the surprise of the show for me. In Act 1, she’s extremely aloof, obviously traveling in the circles of high society, but it’s in Act 2 when Vivienne explores the more seedy side of New York that Kelly’s comedic chops are on full display, and she’s extremely funny. Also note that each accent, from Bertie’s and Vivienne’s high society English, to Ruby’s exaggerated showgirl, is wonderfully delivered. Credit here goes to dialect coach Elizabeth Kaye Sortun and to the work of the actors for this. It’s not easy to work up an accent and consistently deliver it from start to finish, but this cast does, to a person.

This is a top notch production, and I give full marks to director Scott Nolte and his creative team and their work with the actors to bring forth a complete package. This includes the wonderful costume work by Kilah Williams, Mark Lund’s sound design, Amanda Sweger’s lighting, and R.J. Tancioco’s music direction. It also includes stage management. Brigid Ridge is there to make sure that Jeeves has full bottles of questionably sourced liquor to serve, or that every little piece is where it should be. In a play like this, one that relies heavily on pace and delivery, it’s all hands on deck, and everyone needs to be on point for it to be successful, and this production most certainly is.

Jeeves Takes a Bow is a hilarious farce that is so easy to digest, you may want to come back and see it again, and again. Fronted by a superior ensemble cast, the Scott Nolte directed production transports audiences back to prohibition era New York in a true fish out of water tale that will have you laughing from curtain up to curtain down.

The regional professional premiere of Jeeves Takes a Bow has been extended, now running onstage at Taproot Theatre’s Jewell Mainstage through June 24. For more information, and tickets, visit https://taproottheatre.org/.

Photo credit: Robert Wade