One joke, two acts. Even the author of One Man, Two Guvnors acknowledges the dramatic dilemma at hand. At the top of the second act, the central character addresses the audience, noting that his character's primary motivation has been sated and some new incentive is needed. That the replacement drive is not equal to what has come before it is understandable when farce is pushed to unsustainable limits, but playwright Richard Bean squanders some of the goodwill that could carry the play along by duping the audience for the sake of some big laughs. When the ruse becomes apparent at the end of the first act, it's harder not to see the comic machinery cranking away during the second act. It's still funny, but a little tarnished.
Berkeley Rep is presenting the West Coast premiere of One Man, Two Guvnors, an updated variation on Carlo Goldoni's 1753 comedy Servant of Two Masters. Now the setting is Brighton, the slightly seedy English seaside resort, and the time is the ready-to-rock early 1960s. But 18th-century commedia dell'arte conventions are still in play, as a down-on-his-luck musician stumbles his way into the employ of both a gangster and a dandy who are looking for each other for very different reasons. Francis Henshall must maintain the secret of his dual employment that becomes a comedic high-wire act culminating in a dinner scene in which he divides one meal into thirds, with tiny portions for each of his two guvnors and a generous helping of each course for himself, with a little help from the audience.
Further detailing the plot would be of little purpose here, for it is all in the service of giving the actor playing Francis bountiful opportunities to provoke laughter. The playwright has done a lot of the work, both with quirkily skewed dialogue and situations crafted for broad physical humor, but he has also placed a considerable burden on the actor playing Francis, whose dexterity must encompass an enormity of comedic skills. And that actor must also win our affections.
Dan Donohue might seem an unlikely choice for these duties. His resume is filled with Shakespearean tragedies, and his physical type is far removed from the roly-poly James Corden, who played the role to thunderous acclaim in London and New York. The wiry Donohue projects a Dead End Kid wiliness while Corden was more the genial buffoon. But Donohue pulls it off, and much of the production's pleasure derives from watching how he handles every line, movement, and gesture �" always with a knowing wink to the audience.
Berkeley Rep is presenting One Man, Two Guvnors in a co-production with South Coast Rep of Costa Mesa. A producing partner is desirable because of the surprising size of the show, with a large cast, multiple settings, and even a four-piece band that performs between scenes in a kind of music-hall fashion. Director David Ivers keeps tight rein on what cunningly can seem like pandemonium, and the supporting cast often brings its own inspired lunacy to the mix.
There is especially entertaining work from Brad Culver as a self-inflated romantic swain, Sarah Moser as a gangster's airhead daughter who is twice engaged, William Connell as the swaggering Oxbridge sort who is one of Francis' guvnors, Helen Sadler as the cross-dressing second guvnor, Ron Campbell as a dangerously doddering waiter, and Danny Scheie as the head waiter.
One Man, Two Guvnors is a smart take on an old farce, with a showcase role that only those of specific talents or serious foolishness would undertake. Donohue pulls it off, and he so expertly performs the playwright's bit of trickery on the audience that almost all is forgiven. But not forgotten.
One Man, Two Guvnors will run through June 21 at Berkeley Rep. Tickets are $29-$89. Call (510) 647-2918 or go to berkeleyrep.org.