By Galen Simmons

Over-the-top performances, ridiculously gaudy costumes and impressively impeccable comedic timing makes the Stratford Festivals’ production of London Assurance a downright fun performance to watch.

Despite some opening-night jitters, the cast of this production should be commended for bouncing back from the slightest of missteps quickly and landing those all-important reaction, slapstick and wordplay jokes to make this play work.

Much like a Shakespearean comedy – both in the wordiness of the dialogue and the unnecessarily complicated scheming so many of the characters on stage engage in – London Assurance tells the story of a fashion-forward man, Sir Harcourt Courtly (Geraint Wyn Davies), and the son he doesn’t seem to know all that well, Charles Courtly (Austin Eckert), as their individual desires for love, financial certainty and freedom get in the way of the other’s.

While Davies’ eccentric, foppish and decidedly un-masculine Sir Harcourt Courtly isn’t interested in finding love, he actively pursues an arranged marriage with Grace Harkaway (Marissa Orjalo) – a woman he has never met who is much too young for him – in the interest of securing her wealth and lands so he can continue living his lavish lifestyle. Meanwhile, Charles Courtly, a notorious partier with a penchant for breaking the law, is manipulated by the enigmatic Richard Dazzle (Emilio Viera) into leaving his legal troubles at home, dawning a new persona and spending a few nights at Max Harkaway’s (David Collins) home in the country while the heat dies down.

Little does anybody know – none of the characters seem to know what’s going on in this play until the very end – Grace Harkaway lives with her uncle Max and Charles Courtly falls in love with her before realizing his father is set to marry her.

It’s all very complicated and confusing for the characters on stage and, at times, the audience, but that’s where so much of the comedy comes from. That confusion and chaos is exacerbated even further thanks to the hilarious meddling of Graham Abbey’s Mark Meddle, Viera’s Dazzle and Deborah Hay’s Lady Gay Spanker. Each portrays their characters’ particular motivations through somewhat clumsy asides that help get that pesky exposition out of the way, allowing the chaotic, confusing comedy to take centerstage.

I have to give full marks to the design team for this production. Both the set and costume designs for London Assurance are lavish, colourful and just strange enough to fit perfectly with the cartoonish escapades unfolding on stage.

Though London Assurance isn’t my favourite play, this production is fun to watch and I can almost guarantee you’ll get at least a few really good belly laughs out of the experience.

I know I did.

London Assurance runs until Oct. 25 at the Festival Theatre.