P. G. Wodehouse’s comedic duo, the hapless toff Bertie Wooster and his dependable, sometimes scheming, butler Jeeves, is most recognisable in Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry form. Yet in this show, it is the job of one man to take on all the roles in an aptly slapstick yet but uneven production.
Jeeves Takes Charge is a one-man show usually performed by Sam Harrison; however, on Thursdays, when I went, the more than capable Rupert Sadler took the reins. Over the two hours, Sadler energetically shape-shifts through dozens of characters, including Wooster and Jeeves, as the former finds himself in daft situations, often of his own making, and needing to be dug out of trouble by Jeeves. That said, Jeeves is not always the spotless butler you might expect, sometimes, as seen here, helping to reiterate the chaos rather than resolve it, to comedic effect.
Sadler is in great form and commands a role he looks well-suited for here. It is a role that not only requires a lot of energy, but a great deal of precision too, ensuring each unique character can be quickly identified, which, under Hugh Wooldridge’s direction, Sadler achieves here with aplomb. The piece is split into three stories, each with a unique set of characters, with Sadler’s Lord Willoughby during the opening sketch one of the play’s highlights.
Not all of the play’s episodes land equally, though. The piece’s second story, which sees the pair end up at a girls’ school, feels a little clumsier and too quick to the punchline. This is compounded by an extended second half which uses the same formula of the second story, a chaotic public speaking address, as its central gag.
The production, though, is boosted by a smart combination of set and video design, both by Caite Hevner. It is a set with a good amount of stage space, enabling Sadler to jump, leap and skip with ease, which helps propel the show’s chaotic slapstick. It has lavish furnishings, though, dominated by a plush brown leather sofa which is more of a crash mat for Wooster’s leaping than anything else. Moreover, the integrated projections, neatly animated, clarify the various locations, again keeping the play’s pace up.
With its trademark chaos, Wooster’s utter incompetence and Jeeves’s dry wit, the show wins over fans of the source material, finding similarities here to the TV show and books, but its repetitive nature is probably not going to convince new viewers to stick with it.
