The characters Jeeves and Wooster are as well-known and beloved to the British as Charlie Brown and Snoopy are to Americans. Introduced by the brilliant humorist P.G. Wodehouse in a 1915 short story, Bertie Wooster, the hapless society fop, and his unflappable (if a bit snooty) manservant, Jeeves, have inspired countless books, movies, and radio and television programs ever since.
Wodehouse (pronounced WOOD-house, BTW) published dozens of “Jeeves” tales, many of them short stories, several of them full-length novels. His last, “Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen,” was published in 1974—a sixty-year span!
Nearly all of the Jeeves stories share the same irresistable comic premise: Bertie, while a member of upper-crust society, is quite clueless and dimwitted—as are his friends. His manservant Jeeves is the one character with cunning, and he employs it tirelessly, time and again, to rescue his poor young master from his foibles, follies and escapades. The irony: In his own mind, Bertie is quite brilliant and capable, mostly unaware that without Jeeves around he would be lost. Yet Jeeves—ever the dutiful valet—never lets on that he is firmly in control of his employer’s life, content with his role as silent Machiavelli.
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Add to that winning mix the cutting wit of playwright Alan Ayckbourn (The Norman Conquests, Absurd Person Singular) and the infectious melodies of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (uh... everything) and you have a perfect little gem of musical theater comedy, By Jeeves.
The Musical
By Jeeves is primarily based on the book “The Code of the Woosters,” but Ayckbourn skillfully weaves in characters and plot elements from Wodehouse’s other Jeeves stories. Mistaken identities and romantic entanglements are the classic comic engines of By Jeeves, but wrapped around the story is a clever device: At the start of the show, the audience is told they are in attendance at a hall for a charity
concert featuring a banjo performance by Bertie Wooster (a skill at which he is as inept as he is boastful).
To spare the poor attendees, Jeeves contrives to have Bertie’s banjo conveniently stolen, leaving him no choice but to fill the evening with anecdotes of his misadventures. Jeeves narrates us through Bertie’s spotty recollections, ultimately spinning the tale we see unfold—enhanced by impromptu (and delightfully inadequate) props, costumes, scenery and sound effects.
- JEEVES: Bob Longstreet – Aristocratic, cultured, “gentleman’s gentleman.” Adept at disguising insults as flattery.
- BERTIE WOOSTER: Jeff Jackson – Jeeves’ employer. Society fop. Loveable dunce. Believes himself to be banjo virtuoso. Is not.
- SIR WATKYN BASSETT:
Mark Dacey – Local magistrate and intimidating presence when not confused. Owner of Totleigh Towers, a modest country estate roughly the size of Malta. - MADELINE “MADDY” BASSETT:
Tina Kaye – Sir Watkyn’s daughter. Object of many chaps’ affections. Strong breeze between ears. - AUGUSTUS “GUSSIE” FINK-NOTTLE:
Jeffrey Fiorello – Timid bookworm who often backwards gets words his. In love with Maddy, but too shy to sputter out a proposal. - REV. HAROLD “STINKER” PINKER:
Eric Harper – Muscular fellow whose innate nervousness often causes him to break things and de-rail trains. - STEPHANIE “STIFFY” BYNG:
Kathleen Campbell Jackson – Niece and ward of Sir Watkyn Bassett. A conniving schemer who is in love with Stinker and will take no prisoners until they are happily wed. - HONORIA GLOSSUP: Juliet Brines – Sturdy, no-nonsense outdoors-woman; Bertie’s ex- (and would-be future-) fianceé. Fond of hedgehogs.
- BINGO LITTLE: Rich McNanna – Forlorn, jaded, and easily injured. In love with Honoria, but can’t seem to catch her up.
- CYRUS BUDGE III, Jr.: Mike Patierno – An American visitor. Heir to a jelly empire. Brawny, brazen, and bright (not). Quite apt to punch you in nose.
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Performing at: Chester Theatre Group at the Black River Playhouse, Chester, NJ
- Reserve tickets online or by phone:
908-879-7304. Tickets $24 (Students under 18 and seniors over 65: $22) -
Performances (9): March 2–18, 2012, Fri. & Sat. eves. at 8 PM, Sun. matinees at 2 PM
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Directed by Jeffrey Jackson
(also playing “Wooster”) with Roseann Ruggiero. Music Director: Thomas Rodgers. Choreographer: Bernadatte Baron.
▼ By Jeeves page on Alan Ayckbourn's site
▼ Original Cast Recording on Amazon