The Confidential Clerk

On a warm and stuffy night. Primavera’s production of this verse play, which has not been performed in London for over 50 years, is part of the Finborough’s rediscoveries series 2007. The Confidential Clerk is a delightful foray into comings and goings of high society parents, children and siblings.

The story concerns Sir Claude Mulhammer admirably played, at short notice, by Martin Bishop, who is attempting to smuggle his illegitimate son Colby Simkins (Anthony Wilks) into his household under the guise of a replacement for his Confidential Clerk who’s retirement, ‘on medical grounds’ is imminent. The wise and diplomatic Eggerson (David Barnaby) is part of the ruse as is Simkins. All three conspire to get Mulhammer’s wife, the Lady Elizabeth (Tamara Ustinov) to like Simkins enough so that eventually, she will agree to adopt him as her own son. Throw in an assortment of orphans and an aunt of quite dour demeanour and some surprise revelations, twists and turns and you have the makings of a modern-ish day Greek tragedy.

Ustinov impressed as the absent minded Lady Elizabeth and the part of Lucasta Angel, played by Antonina Lewis was also very strong. The small cast of seven gel well to present this piece in humorous and entertaining way.

They play is read in three acts, and is fully costumed, but with minimal staging and props. The space at the Finborough Theatre is intimate and the actors do well to manoeuvre the space without detracting too much from the performance itself. The Confidential Clerk is being performed for the next three weeks on Sunday and Monday evenings and is recommended as a light-hearted tonic to a heavy weekend or to ease you into your week.

• Directed by Tom Littler
• Designed by Pip Swindall
• Lighting by Christopher Nairne
• Associate Director: Catherine Paskell
• Cast: David Barnaby, Martin Bishop, Freddie Huntington, Antonina Lewis, Judy Norman, Tamara Ustinov and Anthony Wilks.