THE NORMAN CONQUESTS

Three edgy comedies give us three views, during one weekend, of a dysfunctional family at an English country house as Norman, a lighthearted but incorrigible seducer, sows chaos. As is typical of Ayckbourn, the humor is often dark or uncomfortable, with scenes evolving from tension into overt drama. The thoroughly professional cast delivers the humor with grace and the drama with power. The characters are flawed, at times even unpleasant and a bit exaggerated, but the strong performances help keep them both sympathetic and realistically human. In the rapid interplay, a few words are sometimes lost, and occasionally sisters-in-law Ruth and Sarah sound too much alike, a problem for audio. But this is a top-notch production of three amusing, if at times discomforting, plays. W.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2011]