As if the holidays weren't stressful enough

Alan Ayckbourn’s dark farce “Absurd Person Singular,� which premiered in England almost forty years ago, features three couples gathered on three successive Christmas Eves in three pointedly different kitchens which depict their changing lives and social standing. The play is packed with zingy one-liners and seriously dramatic moments in Barrington Stage Company’s laugh-filled and affecting revival.

The first act, in Sidney’s (Robert Petkoff) and Jane’s (Julia Coffey) stark kitchen  decorated in garish colors, is pure farce utilizing both verbal and physical comedy. Act two starts more seriously in Eva’s (Finnerty Steeves) and Geoff’s (Christopher Innvar) small and well-appointed 1970’s kitchen but moves into broad comedy while Marion’s (Henny Russell) and Ronald’s (Graeme Malcolm) aged and imposing kitchen hosts a somber and darkly comic episode.

Though there are hearty laughs, and the play is billed as a comedy, there is a sober underpinning to the plot, which is a satirical comment on marriage and the English middle class, two of Ayckbourn’s favorite targets. In order to lampoon these institutions, he uses stereotypes that serve his dramatic intent.

Sidney, who is a contractor, and Jane are a young couple who desperately try to impress Geoff, a well-known architect, and Roland, a banker, by inviting them to their tract home for cocktails. The two men and their wives view the couple disparagingly and adopt condescending attitudes. At each ensuing Christmas Eve Sidney has become more and more successful while the fortunes of the other two men have waned.

Similarly, the relationship between the older husbands and wives also change. Eva, a profound depressive who tries to commit suicide in the second act while the others bumble around her, becomes more forceful. She seizes control of Geoff’s failing career and recognizes the need to curry Sidney’s favor. A charming dipsomaniac when we first meet her, Marion berates Roland in front of the others as she falls further into alcoholism and their marriage disintegrates.

The performances are uniformly outstanding, all employing standard British accents that lend credibility to their comic lines and bantering. All of them move easily from the comic scenes to their more serious moments. This is an ensemble cast that works well together to strengthen Acykbourn’s comedy and thematic intentions.

Director Jesse Berger keeps the madcap scenes under control while subtly emphasizing the play’s more severe elements. The seamlessness of his direction and the strength of the cast drive the show while avoiding any sluggish moments. An intriguing aspect of the production is Jo Winiarksi’s design of three radically different sets on Barrington’s small stage.

This show is a humorous and thoughtful treat. “Absurd Person Singular� runs through August 29. For tickets call 413-236-8888.

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