act five
theatre company
Present Laughter
by Noël Coward
Alma Tavern Theatre, Bristol, Feb - March 2019
St Monica Trust Theatre, Bristol, April 2019
Actor Garry Essendine is at the height of his career. He’s successful, witty, surrounded by adoring fans and about to take his latest hit abroad. He’s also in the middle of a turbulent mid-life crisis.
Holed up in his flat, he is assailed from all quarters: a young debutante wants to seduce him, a crazed playwright from Uckfield wants to worship him and his producer’s wife wants to... well, what exactly does she intend?
Under the mordant eye of his long-suffering secretary and the implacable gaze of his estranged but resolute wife, Garry struggles to keep all his plates spinning.
This slyly satirical comedy about sex, fame and the theatre itself is Noël Coward’s most autobiographical writing.
After the sucessful relaunch of ActV in 2018, interest in the company was such that Fiona and Ken took the decision to expand our acting company and recruited a talented mix of actors and drama practicioners.
Adhering to our remit of producing theatre in a black box setting, this classic comedy played to sell-out audiences in the Spring of 2019.
Photography by Stewart McPherson