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# Review: Garden @ Lichfield Garrick
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/review-garden-lichfield-garrick/
- Published: 2014-10-11T05:12:10.000Z
- Updated: 2014-10-11T05:12:10.000Z
- Author: Phil Preece
- Tags: Reviews, What's On, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 20:48

This is definitely a new one on me – two plays running simultaneously in two different areas of the same theatre, but sharing one cast. Difficult enough you might be forgiven for thinking to perform in one play, but in two on the same night?

The good news is, Garden’s Director Chris Stanley copes effortlessly with the potentially nightmarish logistical problems of Alan Ayckbourn’s Garden so allowing his splendid cast the opportunity to make the very most of the farcical opportunities provided by the play.

[![Sarah Stanley as jilted mistress Joanna](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/house-garden-lpda-collaborative-first-2-web.jpg)](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2014/09/23/alan-ayckbourn-plays-set-to-take-over-both-lichfield-garrick-stages/house-garden-lpda-collaborative-first-2-web/)

Sarah Stanley as jilted mistress Joanna

And having seen House already, for me the most surprising feature of this evening was how different the two plays are, despite sharing the same characters.

Because Garden is much more of a farce, with all manner of silly sight gags and set pieces, and its theme is love, misguided, unrequited, interrupted, unwanted, mature, immature, chaste or highly sexed and in the hands of this consummate farceur that really is laugh out loud funny.

From a huge cast some performances shone out particularly brightly. Sarah Stanley was irresistibly funny as the middle class housewife literally deranged by sexual passion and reduced to hiding in the bushes like a wild creature. Rebecca Hyland is deeply, surprisingly touching as the girl who craves the love of the father she never had.

David Stonehouse hilariously and unexpectedly finds hot, passionate love with the French film star who isn’t supposed to touch liquor. Lisa Dean as the very ordinary Lindy Love sets out on an adventure with her exact opposite, the worldy Gavin Ryng-Mayne. And Ian Davies misses all opportunities as the mild, slightly wet Giles Mace.

Special mention must go to Denise Baker as the eternally put-upon housekeeper Izzie Truce, also to Ian Parkes for his relentlessly good-humoured Barry Love. Ellie Galvin’s authoritative bilingual minder exactly caught the character’s business-like exasperation.

But for me the evening was stolen by Adrian Venables as laconic gardener Warn Croucher. His silences had the ring of genius about them, unexpected in a play of so many mis-matched words.

I still think they’re mad, but now I very much hope this won’t be the last collaboration between our much-loved Lichfield Players and the constantly surprising Different Animal. Bring it on!