Tudor Players | Productions | Dry Rot | Amateur drama society, Sheffield, Library, Theatre, stage plays, Comedy, acting, Ayckbourn, UK.

One of the most successful farces that has appeared in London. It deals with a crazy but very likeable gang of bookies who, in order to be near the racecourse, are staying at a country hotel run by a retired colonel and his wife and daughter. Secret rooms, sliding panels, mistaken identity and a nice little bit of romance are some of the main ingredients of this very racy and slick farce, which never lets up for a moment and provides some of the best possible entertainment around.

Set in a quiet country inn, run by a retired colonel and his wife. All is peace and quiet at the Bull and Cow until the week of the race meeting at the local race course and a team of London bookies turn up intent on rigging the big race. What follows is fast, frenetic and extremely funny.

Dry Rot is a classic British farce and ran at the Whitehall Theatre in London for over three and a half years.
Not to be missed

Thoughts from the Director
Tudor have produced Dry Rot before (some sixteen years ago) and I still have fond memories of that production. Brian Parker played Alf Tubbe and Tony Webb played Flash Harry and I can still hear Tony’s voice after all these years.
I was therefore delighted to be given the chance to direct this classic farce. I had a strong cast at my disposal (although the original person I cast as Danby pulled out after a couple of weeks) I had an inventive and hard working set building team and I knew that the setting would look great as well as be very functional.
At the time of writing this, all we need is an audience and I hope you find the play as funny as we have during the course of rehearsals.
Have a good night.
Peter Howard

Review, The Star 12May2011
The Tudor Players's version of John Chapman's farce is a hoot.

The play is set in a country hotel, post war, run by a bumbling, ex-colonel and his wife. Peter Howard's set is great, with 50s wallpaper, a coat of arms and the inevitable stag’s head hanging up. Colonel Wagstaff’s hotel is pretty quiet until some wide boys descend, in order to win money betting on a losing horse. Chapman’s witty script encompasses a variety of comedic styles. From Wagstaff’s biting sarcasm to his wife, “Are you awake dear?” “No I’m sleepwalking”. To Beth the maid’s gentle flirtation with Phipps.
A large proportion of the comedy is good old-fashioned slapstick however. Roger Bingham and John Moran as Tubbe and Phipps, respectively get the best of the action. A particularly funny scene is watching Tubbe teaching Phipps to mount a sofa in preparation for being a jockey.
Their Laurel and Hardy routine works beautifully. I keep waiting for Bingham to say, “That’s another fine mess you’ve got me into, Phipps!” John Fereday also does well as the third spiv, Flash Harry, complete with cockney-geezer accent. Jenn Aspinall is endearing with her Somerset accent and catchphrase, “my dear”. Although appearing some 20 years later, one feels Fawlty Towers owes a debt to Chapman.
Director Peter Howard manages to get the comic timing just right from his confident players, with a complex set of sliding panels, knocking, opening doors and collapsing stairs! Finalement, bravo a Monsieur Ross Bannister qui a parle en francais pendant toute la piece!
Stephen Grigg


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One of the most successful farces that has appeared in London. It deals with a crazy but very likeable gang of bookies who, in order to be near the racecourse, are staying at a country hotel run by a retired colonel and his wife and daughter. Secret rooms, sliding panels, mistaken identity and a nice little bit of romance are some of the main ingredients of this very racy and slick farce, which never lets up for a moment and provides some of the best possible entertainment around. Set in a quiet country inn, run by a retired colonel and his wife. All is peace and quiet at the Bull and Cow until the week of the race meeting at the local race course and a team of London bookies turn up intent on rigging the big race. What follows is fast, frenetic and extremely funny. Dry Rot is a classic British farce and ran at the Whitehall Theatre in London for over three and a half years. Not to be missed Thoughts from the Director Tudor have produced Dry Rot before (some sixteen years ago) and I still have fond memories of that production. Brian Parker played Alf Tubbe and Tony Webb played Flash Harry and I can still hear Tony’s voice after all these years. I was therefore delighted to be given the chance to direct this classic farce. I had a strong cast at my disposal (although the original person I cast as Danby pulled out after a couple of weeks) I had an inventive and hard working set building team and I knew that the setting would look great as well as be very functional. At the time of writing this, all we need is an audience and I hope you find the play as funny as we have during the course of rehearsals. Have a good night. Peter Howard Review, The Star 12May2011 The Tudor Players's version of John Chapman's farce is a hoot. The play is set in a country hotel, post war, run by a bumbling, ex-colonel and his wife. Peter Howard's set is great, with 50s wallpaper, a coat of arms and the inevitable stag’s head hanging up. Colonel Wagstaff’s hotel is pretty quiet until some wide boys descend, in order to win money betting on a losing horse. Chapman’s witty script encompasses a variety of comedic styles. From Wagstaff’s biting sarcasm to his wife, “Are you awake dear?” “No I’m sleepwalking”. To Beth the maid’s gentle flirtation with Phipps. A large proportion of the comedy is good old-fashioned slapstick however. Roger Bingham and John Moran as Tubbe and Phipps, respectively get the best of the action. A particularly funny scene is watching Tubbe teaching Phipps to mount a sofa in preparation for being a jockey. Their Laurel and Hardy routine works beautifully. I keep waiting for Bingham to say, “That’s another fine mess you’ve got me into, Phipps!” John Fereday also does well as the third spiv, Flash Harry, complete with cockney-geezer accent. Jenn Aspinall is endearing with her Somerset accent and catchphrase, “my dear”. Although appearing some 20 years later, one feels Fawlty Towers owes a debt to Chapman. Director Peter Howard manages to get the comic timing just right from his confident players, with a complex set of sliding panels, knocking, opening doors and collapsing stairs! Finalement, bravo a Monsieur Ross Bannister qui a parle en francais pendant toute la piece! Stephen Grigg
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