’TIS the season to be jolly smashed.

York Settlement Community Players have timed their production of John Godber’s party piece perfectly for the month of office staff behaving badly, sadly, madly.

It feels particularly close to home in the narrow, end-on stage setting of the Friargate Theatre, especially when office receptionist Pippa (a divinely funny Katy Devine), worse for wear and wearing her worst fashion crime yet, spews up by the feet of the front row. (And yes, the projectile vomiting is in the script, and the “vomit” is in fact watered-down cold soup, just in case it splashes on you.)

This is one of those plays where you may well watch through your hands, such is the familiarity of the embarrassing behaviour unfolding in the Leeds offices of advertising agency Chapman and Howard, where wives, girlfriends and any other complications have been banned from this year’s Christmas bash after the shenanigans of the past years.

By the time the party kicks off, we have come to know Godber’s characters already, from the arrival of London hotshot Jo Stewart (Clancy McMullan) five months earlier, charged with securing a crucial contract.

You will meet the ghastly, work-shy, potty-mouthed play-away Bob (a spot-on Ian Giles), with his boorish banter and neglectful attitude to his wife; young, impressionable Lee (Jon Adams), better with his graphics than words or his choice of tie; and ever-calm Patty (Rachel Alexander-Hill), as smart and efficient as Miss Moneypenny.

Company boss Gavin (Jacco Thijssen, a Dutchman with an Irish accent) is of the old, somewhat sexist school. Office dogsbody Andy (Matt Simpson) is the everyman character, ten years in his job, looking for a change, not spending enough time with his wife and family, but basically a decent bloke…who finds himself falling for Jo. Simpson is the pick of the cast, his scenes invariably the best, particularly with McMullan.

Godber’s world of office and sexual politics, set against a backdrop of recessionary times, threatened redundancies and London-centric attitudes, has a slow-burning first half and an incendiary second one, which is one hell of a party with a bleak midwinter chill of the morning after. Played out on Mike Rogers’ modern office set, Mike Hickman’s uproarious production builds impressively, the humour rising in tandem with the over-heating staff.

 

The Office Party, York Settlement Community Players, Friargate Theatre, York, until tomorrow; performances at 2.30pm and 7.30pm today and 2.30pm tomorrow. Box office: 01904 623568 or
yorktheatretoyal.co.uk