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Boeing Closes at Comedy Prior to Tour & US, 5 Jan

Matthew Warchus’ hit revival of Sixties sex farce Boeing-Boeing will close in the West End on 5 January 2008, at the end of its current booking period at the Comedy Theatre, ahead of planned Broadway and Australian dates and a UK regional tour.

When it premiered, Marc Camoletti’s play, which is translated from the French by Beverley Cross, held the world record for the longest-running comedy in the West End, playing over 2,000 performances before itself transferring to Broadway. The new production opened – with an original cast led by Roger Allam, Mark Rylance and Frances de la Tour - opened on 15 February (previews from 3 February) and has been seen by over 170,000 people.

Bernard (McNally), a successful architect living in Paris, thought he could easily cope with his three air hostess fiancées. It was all a question of timetables and his reliable, long-suffering housekeeper Bertha (Marsh) who reluctantly has the role of romantic air-traffic controller. When old school chum Robert (Stuke) arrives, Bernard relishes the chance to show his wide-eyed friend his first-class operation at work. Unfortunately, schedules change, flights are delayed and a new turbo-charged Boeing aircraft is introduced.

Parisian architect Bernard thought that, with the help of his put-upon housekeeper Bertha, he could cope with the demands, and timetables, of three air hostess fiancées. When old school chum Robert arrives, Bernard relishes the chance to show off his first-class operation at work. Unfortunately, schedules change, flights are delayed and a new turbo-charged Boeing aircraft is introduced, causing chaos.

The current cast features Kevin McNally (as Bernard), Jean Marsh (Bertha) and Neil Stuke (Robert) with Jennifer Ellison, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Elena Roger as the flight attendant fiancees.

The production is designed by Rob Howell, who also collaborated with director Matthew Warchus this year on the epic JRR Tolkien musical The Lord of the Rings, with lighting by Hugh Vanstone. The curtain call is devised by Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli. Boeing-Boeing is presented in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Act Productions, Matthew Byam Shaw, Robert G Bartner and Bob Boyett.

No further productions have yet been announced for the Comedy Theatre.

- by Terri Paddock

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