The English Theatre of Hamburg Presents Benfield's TOUCH AND GO, Now Playing!

Derek Benfield's TOUCH AND GO, "a light comedy with lots of laughs at the darkest time of year" is now playing at The English Theatre of Hamburg. The show stars James Walmsley, Debbie Radcliffe, Stephen Chance, Yvonne Delahaye and Amy Newton. TOUCH AND GO features Set Design by Mathias Wardeck, Set Design Assistance by René Ahnert, Costume Design by Patricia Royo, Lighting Design by Geoff Humphrys, Music Supervision by Paul Glaser, Stage Management by Justin Farrow and Rebecca Delmas, Seamstress, Jutta Kreischer, Hair Styling and Make-up by Hoky Siswan, and London Casting Gordon Griffin. TOUCH AND GO is presented by special arrangement with The Agency Ltd., London.

When Brian takes up jogging, his wife Hilary is overjoyed. But, instead of jogging, Brian is in fact spending a couple of hours with his girlfriend, Wendy, in his good friend George's flat. This arrangement works wonderfully for some time; for, while Brian is with Wendy, George knows there is no danger of his being caught at Brian's flat with Brian's wife, Hilary! The good times come to an abrupt end, however, when George's wife Jessica arrives home a day early from the United States and finds her flat occupied by Brian and Wendy. Thinking fast, Brian claims that Wendy is just a Red Cross nurse who rescued him from a jogging accident, but Jessica is suspicious. This is modern British farce at its hilarious best and a sure guarantee of a delightful evening in the theatre.There are many kinds of comedy: satire, romantic comedy, comedy of manners, comedy drama etc. TOUCH AND GO is farcical comedy which depends more on situation and plot than on character development. Its main purpose is to entertain. In TOUCH AND GO the characters are delineated enough to make them interesting, but the plot takes precedence. The play moves along at a fast pace and its purpose is to provide the audience with two hours of fun.

The author, Derek Benfield (1926—2009) was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his first appearances with Brian Rix's company after which he acted for many years in various repertory companies. He appeared in a wide variety of parts in the theatre and on TV and was a prolific writer of comedy for the stage. His many entertaining stage plays continue to be widely produced throughout the world and include CAUGHT ON THE HOP, BEYOND A JOKE, BESIDE MANNERS, LOOK WHO'S TALKING, FISH OUT OF WATER, FUNNY BUSINESS and SECOND TIME AROUND. His farce, TOUCH AND GO, is being performed at The English Theatre of Hamburg for the first time in the theatre's long history. It is a pleasure to produce such a entertaining play. We hope you enjoy the playwright's superb use of comic technique and his marvellous one-liners. Apart from his creative work in the theatre, Derek Benfield delighted in watching cricket and tending his garden at his home in Barnes, south-west London. He is survived by his wife and by their son and daughter.

The English Theatre of Hamburg is a private professional theatre, employing a professional
staff and professional actors. It is a member of the Deutscher Bühnenverein and is registered as a »gemeinnützig« organization in the Federal Republic of Germany. The
theatre is dedicated to the production of a wide variety of plays in the original English,
hoping thereby to contribute to international communication through language and the art
of the theatre. You can help support The English Theatre of Hamburg by transfering a
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For general information contact The English Theatre of Hamburg located at Lerchenfeld 14, 22081 Hamburg. To reach them by phone call: (040) 227 70 89. For online booking contact please visit www.englishtheatre.de.