BILL BRAY introduces this pearl of the late 18th century
Cast your mind back, if you can, to the late 1970s. Do you remember the Aldwych Theatre as the London outpost of the Royal Shakespeare Company? It was here in 1977 that London theatre was inflamed by the discovery of a farce by John O'Keeffe, given a splendid production by Clifford Williams. It had been first produced in 1791 and had not been seen since the 1890s.

So who was this John O'Keeffe and were there more plays like this to be discovered? Barbara Wooding tells us something about him in this edition of Whitwords, an Irishman who was very prolific from 1773 to 1813, and yet whose work has been buried beneath the more famous Goldsmith and Sheridan. Bernard Levin, Sunday Times critic, wrote in 1977: "Whoever dug this masterpiece out for the Royal Shakespeare should be knighted at once". It became the big hit of the time. A cornucopia of comic invention keeps the play permanently on the boil until the final resolution.

What is it about the Irish that they seem to have a command of extravagant yet appropriate language for any eventuality? O'Keeffe belongs to this line alongside Congreve, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Synge, Beckett, O'Casey and, into the present with Sebastian Barry and Martin McDonagh and this is not an exhaustive list. His leading character, Jack Rover an itinerant actor, sprinkles his conversation with perfectly apposite quotations from Shakespeare, while another character, a choleric admiral and his ex-seaman valet talk entirely in nautical metaphors. The dialogue sparkles with such delights, but don't let your laughter distract you from the introduction of each new character or you might miss twists in the plot and it would be a pity to get lost!

O'Keeffe was a one-hit wonder in the 1970s and no other plays by this master farceur appeared. The play has languished since then.

We have a chance to see it and discover what the fuss was all about. Bernard Levin described it as "Pure gold, champagne, moonbeams and caviar". Come, indulge yourself and enjoy!

 

ALAN GOODWIN, director, introduces his cast
The GWT presents as its final production of the 2007-2008 season a rip-roaring, fast-paced comedy written in 1790 by an Irishman who was humorously described by Hazlitt as "our English Moliere". It tells the tale of Jack Rover, the star in a travelling troupe of actors, who inadvertently takes the role of his great friend Harry Thunder, and then presents himself as the suitor to Harry's cousin, the rich and beautiful Quaker "Lady of the Manor", Lady Amaranth. In so doing he sets in motion a whole series of mistaken identities and ingenious intrigues. The resulting confusions make for hilariously comic situations.

Wild Oats is one of the funniest plays of its age and genre, brimming with highly colourful characters, all of whom contribute to one of the best `Restoration` style romps although it is firmly bedded in the High Georgian period of English theatre and sits alongside the very best of Sheridan, Goldsmith et al.

The play is set in the late 18th century with costuming appropriate to the period. In the cast of over 20 (not including the musicians and dancers) you will find several long-standing GWT favourites prepared to strut their stuff viz. Brian Kemp, Roger Gollop, Phil Newton, John Wilson, Ross Holland, Dave Webster, Michael Martin, Claire Kingshott and Dave Oatley. More recent newcomers also appearing are Dan Smith, Charlotte Bacon, Michelle Scott, Paul Friett and Mike Weaver. Making his GWT debut will be the very talented Lee Devlin in the role of Jack Rover.

Arrive at the theatre in anticipation of an excellent evening's entertainment: you will not be disappointed and will leave with smiles, a warm glow and even aching sides.