David Abrams and Heather Shepardson Photo by Jere Torkelsen

Present Laughter is the story of Garry Essendine (David Abrams), a comedy star in London's West End who is a bit of a matinee idol, lusted after by both women and men as well as by producers and writers who want to tap into that special, ineffable magic that turns an actor or performer into a star.

As the show opens, Daphne (Tina Traboulsi), Garry's latest conquest (or should I say "surrender," for it seems clear she has thrown herself at him during a costume party and used the ruse of a lost latch key to inveigle him into letting her spend the night at his London apartment), and he are canoodling while still in costume (she a faerie, he a pirate) to the sounds of Tom Jones' recording of "You Can Leave Your Hat On." Next morning, Daphne is awakened by Essendine's maid Miss Erickson (the ever-delightful Shirley Nilsen Hall) vacuuming up the detritus of their "festivities." Once Garry appears, groggy yet still sharp tongued, he dismisses Daphne for being far too young for him (she's 21; he's just crossed the 40-year hurdle) and settles into his usual routine–which mainly consists of bemoaning the perils of being Garry Essendine. "Everybody worships me. It's nauseating." It also entails making final preparations for an upcoming theatrical tour of Africa with his secretary Miss Reed (Heather Shepardson), who is delightfully calm as she manages Garry's wildly-spinning universe of fans, hangers-on, sycophants, writers and lovers), urging him to action.

Garry seems–through no visible fault (or feature) of his own–to be the center of that universe, attracting lovers like comets arriving for a fly-by, then being flung back out into space. In addition to his household servants–the aforementioned Misses Erickson and Reed, plus valet Fred (James Montellato), there's Garry's estranged wife Liz (played with a delicious diffidence by Kate Schott), manager/director Morris Dixon (Kevin Allen), and producer Helen Lyppiatt (Ashley Kennedy). Everyone wants a piece of Garry, despite his insistence that "no good can come of loving someone like me."

Present Laughter is a bit of a farce, with doors opening and closing as characters come and go, always seeking Garry's love or approval or advice. Fortunately, director Jordan has managed to walk the fine line of farce, where it's silly enough to be funny but not so silly or over the top that it veers into ridiculousness.

And, as was done in a 2019 National Theatre production (which set designer Electric Bill seems to have turned to for inspiration, with its angular drapes and alcove with a tiny statuette), several of the roles shift gender. Harry has become Helen and Joanna is now Jo (Nic Moore), which leaves Garry batting–skillfully–for both teams. This contemporizes the play in ways that Coward, a gay man himself, would likely loved to have done when the play was first produced, had the mores of the time allowed for such a thing.

Director Jordan has also added several contemporary references that too often fall a little flat. Although his line for Garry about another character having "given up the gluten again" works well in this celebrity-fixated world, the nod to Facebook and a famous quote from the film The Princess Bride could have been cut without losing a whit of the play's many charms.

The cast is, for the most part, excellent. Abrams plays the ego-driven, louche cad Essendine with a tender bravado that is wondrous to behold. In the intimate Novato Theater Company space, the audience is treated to a stunning array of gestures, pulled faces, eye rolls, and dozens of other little tics and perfectly timed comic moments that help the 2-1/4 running time absolutely fly by. Kudos also to Tina Traboulsi for a stunning turn as the young woman positively besotted by Essendine, who also manages to show (in the third act) how her character has more maturity than she previously revealed behind the facade of a naïf. Shirley Nilsen Hall has a gloriously precious moment when she receives a gift a feather duster from Essendine's wife. As the others turn back to their upper-class conversation, Hall silently mouths "what the f@#%?" as she briefly examines the gift before returning to her duties, cigarette ever dangling from the corner of her mouth.

Thanks in part to Coward's wit–few do insults hiding inside compliments better than Sir Noël–and a cast who (save for two exceptions) embrace the classic elements of farce without going so far over the top as to turn the whole affair into a pole vaulting competition, this is, all in all, a delightful evening for North Bay audiences.

Present Laughter runs through February 16, 2025, at Novato Theater Company, 5420 Nave Drive, Novato CA. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 general, $28 for members and $20 for students. For tickets and information, please visit www.novatotheatercompany.org or call 415-883-4498.