"One Man, Two Guvnors" - by Richard Bean - Concord Players (Concord, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of Richard Bean's farce "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS," presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through November 21, 2026. Photo Courtesy Concord Players)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“I said to that John Lennon, I said ‘John, you’re going nowhere mate, it’s embarrassing, have you every considered writing your own songs?"
- ("Francis") / Richard Bean
Concord Players
Presents Richard Bean's
"ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS"
Written by Richard Bean
Directed by Rhiannon Jenkins
Cast Includes: Jeff Mitchell as “Francis,” Catherine Haverkampf as “Rachel,” HJ Woodsum as “Stanley,” Rebecca Bishop as “Pauline,” Josh Telepman as “Alan,” Jason Myatt as “Charlie,” John Lynch as “Harry Dangle,” Amy Poli as “Dolly,” Jason Rutledge as “Lloyd,” Michael Gravante as “Gareth,” Tom Marsh as “Alfie,” Chris Maloney as “The Barman,” Matt Behrle as “Driver / Policeman / Ensemble,” Meghana Vadassery as “Partygoer, Police Officer #2.”
Ensemble: Julie Urda, Ava Enoch, Hannah Clifford
Additional Creative Team:
Assistant Director - Caitlin Faria; Producer - Angela Richardson, Mike Lague; Stage Manager - Addison Antonoff; Asst. Stage Manager - Bill Fisher; Co-Set Design - Allen Bantly; Co-Set Design / Set Dresser - Ava Enoch; Props - Anne Bantly; Costumer - Tina Zannieri; Hair and Makeup Design - Jack Wickwire; Hair and Makeup Assistant - Niki Mulready; Lighting Design - Susan Tucker; Lighting Operator - B Daigle; Sound Design - Ed Council; Sound Operator - Matthew Tse; Stunt/Fight/Intimacy Coordinator - Sydney Grant; Music Supervisor / Vocal Coach - Kathryn Denney; Band Leader - Doug Telepman; Dialect Coach - Danny Bryck.
Performances:
November 6, 2026 through November 21, 2026
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
All performances to be held at 51 Walden Street, Concord, MA. 01742
TICKETS:
Call # 978 369-2990 or visit https://concordplayers.org/
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(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
Concord Players plunges into the falling leaves of November with rambunctious comedy "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS" now playing in Concord, MA.
Filled with an abundance of exuberant energy by the Concord Players' cast, the British farce "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS" is written by Richard Bean.
The two-act comedy-with-music is an English adaptation of the 1743 commedia dell'arte piece by Italian playwright, Carlo Goldoni Biblical, using the Biblical reference of one man being “The Servant of Two Masters” as its baseline.
Unlike the Biblical caution by Christ, though, the protagonist in this play only serves money and, well, money.
"ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS" debuted at the National Theatre in London in 2011 before moving to Broadway in 2012.
The original production was a perfect vehicle for actor-comedian James Corden in the lead role of “Francis,” ultimately winning Corden the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actor in 2012.
The play would also win the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Broadway Play.
Directed for Concord Players by Rhiannon Jenkins, the play is NOT a musical but rather contains songs performed before the show, during intermission, and even during scene changes.
The songs in the Concord Players' production are not performed by the principals in the cast (except during the finale).
Also, while there is some choreography provided by Josh Telepman and Cat Haverkampf, most of it is assigned to the above moments by a pleasing singing trio consisting of Hannah Clifford, Ava Enoch and Tom Marsh.
(Photo: Ava Enoch, Hannah Clifford and Tom Marsh in a moment from Richard Bean's farce "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS," presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through November 21, 2026. Photo Courtesy Concord Players)
The songs are performed by "The Craze," musicians backing up the trio in a "Skiffle band" style.
“Skiffle” was/is an upbeat style of folk-based music that was praised for combining American blues, jazz, country and bluegrass, heavily influencing many early English rock bands, most notably the Beatles.
The “Craze” players are all outstanding and, while the songs do nothing to advance the plot, as performed they do establish when and where the story takes place and are all catchy and witty.
The story for "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS" is set in 1963 at a seaside resort in Brighton – no, not the Brighton 15 miles from Concord – this Brighton is the one located on the south coast of England, in the county of East Sussex (not to be confused with South Essex).
Overall, the Concord cast does quite well with the variety of English accents, with some actors succeeding better than others.
However, the primary "accent" of the show is less on accents, and more on how unabashedly silly and preposterous the entire story is by breaking the fourth wall and immersing the audience into the utter foolishness occurring on stage.
In the show, we are introduced to busker and unemployed skiffle player Francis (Jeff Mitchell), who becomes secretly and separately employed as the proverbial servant of two men.
Mitchell is thoroughly entertaining as the mercenary (and hungry) Francis, tasked with carrying much of the show’s comedy, doing so by instigating a lot of mischief and mayhem, and by including members of the audience in some of his shenanigans.
Francis’ first GUVNOR is Roscoe Crabbe (Catherine Haverkampf), a dead crook come back to life, but who isn’t a dead crook come back to life but rather is really Roscoe’s twin sister Rachel in disguise.
Trust me, it gets more convoluted from here.
Francis’ second GUVNOR is Stanley Stubbers (HJ Woodsum), a cultured elitist who, as fate would have it, loves Rachel (as Rachel, not as Roscoe) but killed Roscoe (the real Roscoe) and is on the run.
See? Told you.
(Photo: Jeff Mitchell as “Francis” with Catherine Haverkampf as “Rachel" in a moment from Richard Bean's farce "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS," presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through November 21, 2026. Photo Courtesy Concord Players)
Before Roscoe’s death, mob boss Charlie Clench, aka “Charlie the Duck" (Jason Myatt), had arranged for his beloved (and bewildered) daughter Pauline (Rebecca Bishop) to marry Roscoe.
Side note: Why is he called Charlie the Duck? Why not a chicken? Why not a Howard? We never learn the answer (nor really care), but Myatt is quite effective serving as a bit of a straight man against a lot of the zaniness occurring in the show.
Complicating things for Charlie the Duck is his daughter Pauline (the batty) falling head over heels (literally) for over-the-top amateur (aka bad) actor Alan Dangle (Josh Telepman), son of Charlie's lawyer Harry (John Lynch).
Bishop is wonderfully agile, adept at much of the physical comedy required of her funny, zany character, nearly stealing every scene in which she appears.
(Photo: Josh Telepman as “Alan” with Rebecca Bishop as “Pauline” in a moment from Richard Bean's farce "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS," presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through November 21, 2026. Photo Courtesy Concord Players)
While given little to do with the character of Alan outside if him being a buffoonish acting stereotype, Telepman skillfully executes some hilarious bits of business as Alan throughout the show.
When Rachel appears in the guise of the resurrected Roscoe, it throws all plans into a tailspin.
The supporting ensemble performances are all exceptionally funny.
Francis continuously finagles money from both of his masters (giving nothing to God) all the while trying to keep the TWO GUVNORS from meeting and discovering his dual-employment scam.
As Francis does this, though, he does not realize he is also keeping the two lovers from learning the truth about Roscoe…and about their respective predicaments.
As Francis gets himself deeper and deeper into trouble as he keeps his bosses from meeting, compounding issues are subplots that include several mis-delivered communications and a brilliantly hilarious restaurant scene.
Aiding Francis at the restaurant is headwaiter Gareth (Michael Gravante) and an extremely elderly waiter, Alfie (Tom Marsh) who both work for Lloyd Boateng (Jason Rutledge), a friend of Charlie.
Some of the play’s funniest moments occur in the interactions between Marsh and Mitchell.
Marsh as Alfie takes on the most physical role in the entire play - suffering pratfall after pratfall and acting as the perfect foil for Francis at every opportunity.
The only other ally Francis can rely upon is Charlie's assistant Dolly (Amy Poli).
Poli impresses as the strong supporting character of Dolly and, especially in scenes with Mitchell.
As the duo develops a delightfully droll rapport, their exchanges becomes somewhat reminiscent of couples one might see in an early black and white film comedy.
(Photo: Tom Marsh as “Alfie” in a moment from Richard Bean's farce "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS," presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through November 21, 2026. Photo Courtesy Concord Players)
The set design for the show is rather complex and some scene transitions work better than others, but the best ones involve the aforementioned “Craze” band and singers.
As constructed, this play is absurdist British farce in its purist form – a fine tribute to commedia dell'arte - yet some of the more “localized humor” may land better than others from person to person, audience to audience.
Best recommendation is to not overthink much (most, if not all) of the plot and to sit back and embrace the silliness because "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS" is an abrasively comical experience simply meant to be enjoyed.
The hijinks continue from Concord Players' outrageous production of Richard Bean's "ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS" in Concord, MA. through November 21st, 2026.
Coming up next for Concord Players will be Ken Ludwig's adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic mystery "MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS" beginning February 12th and running through February 27th, 2027.
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Approximately two hours, 30 minutes with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
In Richard Bean's
"ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS" - Financially-strapped Francis Henshall has taken on the job of servant to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End London hood, who is trying collect £6,000 from his fiancée’s father.
However, it turns out that "Roscoe" is really his twin sister Rachel … who has been posing as her own dead brother … who has been killed by her own boyfriend, Stanley Stubbers … for whom Francis also works.
Still with us?
The hilarity never stops in this award-winning slapstick farce in its knockabout quest to answer the age-old question:
How can any man (especially Francis) serve two masters, without either of them finding out about the other; pursue and win the girl he fancies; and somehow get a decent meal in the process?
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ABOUT THE CONCORD PLAYERS
THE CONCORD PLAYERS are proud of their continuous record of presenting quality theatre to the citizens of Concord and the surrounding communities. Three major productions are mounted each season. In addition, one-acts, such as the annual entry into the Eastern Mass Assn of Community Theatres (EMACT) Spring Festival, are frequently presented. Workshops in acting, directing, and technical theatre are also offered to the membership.
MISSION STATEMENT
The purpose of our organization is to produce and perform quality theatre for the citizens of Concord and the surrounding communities. We encourage the participation of people with an interest in technical theatre, as well as in performing.
51 Walden Street
Concord, MA. 01742
# 978-369-2990
