Foreigners ready for stage

The cast of Bedfull of Foreigners, including many familiar faces from the local theatre community, is busy rehearsing for the production’s Aug. 3 debut.

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There’s something so lip-smackingly dreadful about British bedroom farce that people – this writer included – can’t avoid coming back for more.

We should be blasé by now about the double entendres, the misunderstandings, the surreal juxtapositions, half-baked explanations and perpetually-anticipated, but never quite realized, assignations.

Instead, we are all a-quiver, too, awaiting the arrival of A Bedfull of Foreigners at the Coast Capital Playhouse, courtesy of the region’s leading and most loyal purveyors of the idiom, Ellie King’s Royal Canadian Theatre Company. The show runs Aug. 4-28 at the playhouse (1532 Johnston Rd.) with 8 p.m. performances Wednesday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. matinees on Sundays.

A hand-picked cast, industriously rehearsing in a future retail space – thanks to the generosity of South Surrey’s the Shops at Morgan Crossing – seems to have a good handle on this Dave Freeman door-slammer, judging by a recent run-through.

“It all takes place at a seedy hotel on the French and German border,” said director King, in a brief break between scenes.

Which hardly explains what the radiator in the room booked by Stanley (Sam Gordon) is doing hanging from the ceiling; or why Helga (Wendy Bollard) has a bad cold and is wearing a monk’s habit, nor why perpetually randy hotel manager Heinz (Brett Harrison) is so keen to see Brenda (Nicole Smashnuk) take a bath, or why the romantic reminiscences of saucy cabaret entertainer Simone (Becky Hachey) and pompous businessman Claude (Walter Ekins) are so involved with biscuits (“You gave me a tin of custard creams,” she recalls. “So that’s where they went,” he replies.).

Also featuring Gary Peterman as Karak, A Bedfull of Foreigners will feature a two-for-one preview night on Aug. 3 and a gala Aug. 5, with reception at 7 p.m. and performance at 8 p.m. For tickets, call 604-536-7535 or visit www.rctheatreco.com