“It Runs In The Family” Reviewed by Edie Reese

[rating=5] Citadel Theater in Lake Forest provides a delicious holiday confection in the form of “It Runs in the Family,” a frothy British farce set in a London hospital during the 1980’s. The show, written by Britain’s Ray Cooney, features several improbable plots smashed together, including preparations for the annual Christmas pantomime, a married doctor preparing for a career-make-or-break lecture, a nurse with whom he had an affair suddenly showing up eighteen years later with their 18-year-old punk-rocker son, the doctor’s busy-body wife, a nosy police sergeant and a cast of other hospital staff and goofballs who enter and exit (slamming doors and windows) with hilarious regularity.

All the activity takes place in the Doctor’s Common Room of St. Andrew’s Hospital. Dr. David Mortimore (Tim Walsh) is preparing for the “Ponsby Lecture” to be reviewed by his demanding boss, Sir Willoughby Drake (Ed Kuffert). Dr. Mike Connolly (Philip J. Macaluso) is preparing for the Christmas pantomime, trying on various costumes and encouraging others to do so. In walks Jane Tate (Aimee Kleiman), with whom Mortimore has had an affair 18 years ago. Unbeknownst to Mortimore, she had a child resulting from the affair, and she has finally told the boy, who now wants to meet his biological father. Mortimore enlists his colleague and best friend, Hubert Bonney (David Whitlock) to assist him in spinning a web of lies to protect his reputation. In true farce fashion, the lies get bigger and more improbable, and involve more characters.

Rounding out the cast are Ellen Phelps as Dr. Mortimore’s wife, Rosemary, Debra Rodkin as Matron, Nancy Greco as Sister/Mother, Chris Bruzzini as Police Sergeant, Ray Andrecheck as Bill, and Declan Poll as the punk rock son, Leslie. In a fast-past comedy such as this, the entire cast must work as an ensemble, and this cast is certainly to be credited with fine ensemble work, as is Director Pat Murphy. Special mention goes to young Declan Poll, a junior at Highland Park High School. His maturity and professionalism is evident.

On the technical side, Eric Luchen’s scenic design, along with Cami Tokowitz’s Scenic Artistry perfectly evokes the time and place and provides the requisite number of doors for all of the entrances and exits. In particular, the snowy exterior window ledge is a work of stagecraft genius.

Isabella Noe’s Properties Design has sought out appropriate props. Due to where I was seated, I got an “up close and personal” look at the well-furnished bar cart, which is featured prominently in the show. Jessica Greenhoe (Stage Manager), Sam Stephen (Lighting Designer), Jonsey Jones (Sound Designer), Jason Clark (Technical Designer) and Alex Trinh (Run Crew) make sure that this show moves along quickly. Elizabeth Monti’s Costume design is whimsical, and R&D Choreography’s Violence Design (Fight Choreography) is spot on.

The show runs through Sunday, December 18, 2022 at Citadel Theatre, 300 South Waukegan Rd, Lake Forest, IL.

Show times are:

Thursdays   7:30 p.m.

Fridays    7:30 p.m.

Saturdays 7:30 p.m.

Sundays at 3 p.m.
There are additional matinees on Wednesday, November 23 and December 14 at 1 p.m.
There is no show on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24.

Ticket prices for Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are $40; Saturdays and Sundays are $45. There are discounts available for groups, seniors and students. To purchase tickets, visit www.citadeltheatre.org. or call 847-735-8554 ext.1.

EDITOR NOTE: Jane and I went to the Friday night performance and it was smashing. The timing was right on and for once, my wife, Jane, admitted that she loved the performance from start to finish.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at ” It Runs In The Family”.