John Finnemore's "Cabin Fever (Series 2)"
The Barn Theatre is delighted to present a new production of episodes from the hit BBC Radio 4 comedy, Cabin Pressure, opening on 26th May.
Scripted by John Finnemore, Cabin Pressure is just as fresh today as when it was first broadcast in 2008, with a cast that included Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam, and Benedict Cumberbatch. It's the second time that the show has been presented at the Barn Theatre, with Sharon Francis directing once again. A new selection of three episodes from Series 2 will be presented.
A classic workplace sitcom, the show follows the misadventures of the flight crew serving on MJN Air, “the world's smallest airline.” It's an ingenious set-up. Because MJN is forever on the verge of bankruptcy, it will fly pretty much anything or anyone to any destination on the planet.
In the crew we have an array of quirky but endearing characters. Carolyn Knapp-Shappey (played by Jan Palmer Sayer), is the owner of MJN, having received the line's only aeroplane as part of a divorce settlement. She regularly steps in as the senior cabin attendant: a cost-cutting measure, drawing on her experience as an air stewardess, and “it's better than being a little old lady.” Carolyn's son Arthur (Eliot Swain) enthusiastically tries to help out with cabin service, but his maladroit over-eagerness often just gets in the way.
In the cockpit we have Captain Martin Crieff (Lorna Thompson), who has wanted since childhood to be a pilot but singularly lacks natural ability at the job; and First Officer Douglas Richardson (Des Turner), a skilled and experienced flier with a penchant for dodgy schemes and louche behaviour; his career nose-dived (pardon the pun!) after he was fired by a previous employer for smuggling kimonos out of Hong Kong.
Sharon fell in love with Cabin Pressure when it was first broadcast, relishing its infectious humour. Bringing it to the Barn was a learning experience, not least because of the novelty of the format: tickets were sold for the studio, where the actors were performing, and also for the bar, where the show was played over the sound system. The result was a resounding success.
In the episodes included in this production, we travel to Gdansk with a Polish chamber orchestra, including the memorably paranoid Madame Szyszko Bohusz (Stephanie Cotter; other characters are played by Hannah Sayer). A flight to Johannesburg leads to an escapade involving a baggage truck and a risky attempt at using the jet exhausts to boil water. An unfeasibly long journey from Hong Kong to Limerick leads members of the crew to pass the time by learning the phonetic alphabet, playing a game with evil-sounding names, and, naturally, making up limericks.
As with the earlier production of Cabin Pressure, the run for Series 2 will offer seating in the studio and the bar (at a lower price). There will also be an opportunity to see the Gdansk episode when it represents the Barn Theatre at the Welwyn Drama Festival on 21st May.
Cabin Pressure (Series 2) runs at the Barn Theatre from Tuesday 26th to Saturday 30th May, evenings 8pm, matinee on 30th May, 2.30pm.
Tickets cost £14 (studio)/£8 (bar – audio only) from Barn Theatre box office on 01707 324300
