Communicating Doors


Communicating Doors
What if you could do it all over again and have it come out differently? The answer, according to Communicating Doors, as produced by Lamplight Productions at the Ballard Underground is: it would be really funny, somewhat scary, and a little bit poignant.
Communicating Doors is written by Alan Ayckbourn, known mostly, I suppose, for farces. And there are elements of farce in the play. There are misunderstandings and secrets and people coming in and out of doors at the worst possible times. There’s a clueless buffoon security guard, a dominatrix, a couple of newlyweds on their honeymoon – and the show takes full comic advantage of all of those.
There is also a doorway to the past and to the future that allows the characters to explore, if unwittingly at first, the question: what if we could foresee and then maybe avoid the bad outcomes in our life? Each of the three women in the story gets to choose, while each of the three men remains (at least for a time), reckless, villainous, or dumb.
The plot is difficult to summarize in a few words. The Guardian called it a “time-warp thriller.” The story takes place in the past, the present and the future. In each period one (at least) of the women is being menaced by the murderous villain. That’s where the scary part comes in.
Over time, the women work out an alternate future for each. That’s the poignant part.
The show could be a wreck if they did not get the balance just right between comedy, thriller, and love story. But they did. If you’re like me, you’ll laugh, you’ll startle, you’ll worry, and maybe tear up a little.
(Photo taken from the show poster.)
Originally published on my Facebook page on September 1, 2018.

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