UK Theatre Network

There’s only so much buffing a person can do, and it’s fair to say that this production is sparkling, there’s a sparkle on every surface, and yet from the minute the Dusty Springfield hits the turntable you know that this is not going to as easy a ride as you had perhaps expected. Doug Stone’s witty and yet strangely disturbing tale of deepest suburbia hits a spot that others often fail to reach.

It’s difficult to quantify where it starts – the gradual decline of a marriage – and here we are offered no answers. The passing of time, the gaining of weight, the shortening of teenage skirts may perhaps all contribute to the widening rifts. Even if we recognise the slipping away, how do we face it? How do we tell our friends? Our neighbours? How do we face our partners? Elizabeth Meadows Rouse (Bonnie) is endearing and funny in her portrayal of a wife in just such a situation, finding poignancy in the smallest and darkest of moments. Kate Vandevender is also fantastic as the ditzy blonde Tracy-Ann, the perfect foil for J.J. Van Name’s mouthy and disgruntled Sinclair who seems to have a chip for all the world, but then again it could a lot of hot air. Unexpectedly, we also delve into the past life of career-minded Diane (Patricia Dalen), who finds a smile even in the most heart-wrenching of times.

This send-up of sitcoms from past and present, shows that dirty laundry, catfights and coloured plastic can be great fun, but there is no substitute for substance, and pretty packaging only masks what’s underneath. Written and directed by Doug Stone this is a bitter-sweet story which speaks to housewives and house-husbands alike. Truly a fresh take on an age-old conundrum. How does it all turn out? Our lids are sealed.

“Sealed For Freshness” sparkles at the New World Stages, New York, which can be found at340 West 50^th Street.

For more information, please visit www.sealedforfreshness.com andwww.newworldstages.com

For tickets, go to www.telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6200