REVIEW | Humourous Play Affirms You're Never Too Old for Sex, Please

Whenever I go to a Dunnville Community Theatre production, I get an adrenaline rush that you’d typically associate with the show’s cast. This is strange since, unlike the cast, I’m not the one who has spent countless hours meticulously memorizing my lines. I haven’t spent months tirelessly practicing with my co-stars over and over again. I didn’t travel to the Dunnville Anglers & Hunters Club in dark, stormy weather to run through full dress rehearsals, paying particular attention to getting my cues spot on. Yet despite me not doing these things, I still get a rush when the house lights dim and the show begins.

I think this is because the talented members of Dunnville Community Theatre feel more like family than brilliant performers. Their success evokes a joy usually associated with a doting parent and DCT’s rendition of ‘Sex Please, We’re Sixty’ indeed made me feel like a proud papa.

The play takes place at the Rose Cottage Bed & Breakfast, which is run by the disturbingly punctual Mrs. Stancliffe (played by Tracey Stirling). Mrs. Stancliffe has an annoying neighbour named Bud (Darrell Baker). He refers to himself as “Bud the stud”, carries a wallet full of “con-domes” and has the dilution that he is the primary reason ladies return to the bed & breakfast year after year.

Guests to the Rose Cottage include Hillary (Candace Stern), Charmaine (rookie actor Deb Zynomirski) and romance novelist Victoria (Diane Morris). Each of them succumb to Bud’s advances, giving him stiff cause to pop his little blue pills.

THE CAST TAKES A BOW FOR THEIR GRATEFUL AUDIENCE

Rounding off the cast is Henry (Claire Vanden Pol), who has eyes for Mrs. Stancliffe. Henry has invented a little blue pill of his own. His pill -which he calls Venusia- is made to help menopausal women increase their libido.

The plot thickens after one of Henry’s Venusia pills is secretly slipped into one of the ladies iced tea. Hilarity ensues when the guests later discover Bud has been “three-timing” them. Vowing to get even, the ladies plot their revenge by swapping Bud’s Viagra with the Venusia. Bud offers hopelessly devoted Henry advice on romance, then gives him what they believe to be Viagra. Suddenly both men end up with symptoms associated with menopause, symptoms that are acted out with masterful humour (“Sob. Why is it so hot in here?”)

In the end all works out for the lovesick group and the audience showed their approval with thunderous applause.

I attended the show with my sister Kim. We sat front and centre with our friend and director of Sex Please, Nancy Erskine. We often broke into laughter at what was happening on stage. “Even though I’ve seen it before it still makes me laugh,” Nancy told me during intermission. With the high caliber of talent in this show, it was hard not to be amused. No enhancement pill required.