A Noise Within presents “One Man, Two Guvnors”

As I trust you all know, back in 1743 an Italian playwright named Carlo Goldoni wrote a play in the commedia dell’arte style called The Servant of Two Masters. It probably swept the Italian version of the Tonys (the Antonios?), but history has unkindly kept this information to itself. In 2011, British playwright Richard Bean adapted Goldoni’s work into One Man, Two Guvnors, setting it in 1963 Brighton and adding songs from a skiffle band. The play was an international hit, made James Corden a star and got him a late-night talk show, and some Americans learned the meaning of the word “skiffle.” Fourteen years later, A Noise Within has given us its own production of the play. Not wanting to let the string of successes and awards for Guvnors down, the company has created a superb rendition of the show, a hilarious and fun presentation capped by Kasey Mahaffy’s comedic tour de force lead performance. What I am saying is, you are going to have a very good time at this show.

In the U.K. seaside resort of Brighton, low-rent criminal Charlie “The Duck” Clench (Henri Lubatti) is holding an engagement party for his daughter, Pauline (Cassandra Marie Murphy). She was supposed to be marrying gangster Roscoe Crabbe, but he was unfortunately murdered. Not wanting to lose the money he spent on the party food, he allows her to wed the fiancé she really loves, the wannabe actor, Alan (Paul David Story). All is contentment until a man shows up as a representative of Crabbe, saying that Roscoe is not, in fact, dead after all. That man is Francis (Kasey Mahaffy), who is attempting a deception as a job for his first boss or “guvnor,” whom he thinks is Roscoe. Oh, but wait – it gets more complicated.

Roscoe is dead, but his twin sister Rachel (Christie Coran) is impersonating him, trying to get money from “Mr. The Duck” so she can run off to Australia with her lover, Stanley (Ty Aldridge). Stanley is hiding out until Rachel can make the deal, and he has hired the services of Francis to help him, thinking that Francis is unemployed. Francis, however, now has two guvnors that are unaware of the other, and he’s run ragged trying to get his jobs done without his deceptions becoming known. All he wants is a nice plate of fish and chips and to take the woman he fancies, Dolly (Trisha Miller), on a trip to Mallorca. But Francis is easily confused, and his mistakes begin to pile up.

Mahaffy is a marvel as Francis, as adept with physical slapstick (a scene in which he fights with himself is beautifully done) as the expert delivery of wordplay. His energy is prodigious, he nails every humorous moment, and his audience interaction is inspired. His take on the character is more interesting to me than Corden’s was – Mahaffy’s version of Francis is a bit darker, and more in keeping with the milieu of the show, whereas Corden played the part as a loveable innocent. Corden won a Tony for Best Performance, but I think Mahaffy is better in the role.

Aldridge and Coran are suitably bossy and lovesick as the two guvnors and separated lovers, and Miller is sharply amusing as the tough subject of Francis’ affection, Dolly. Murphy is very funny as the dim but goodhearted Pauline, and Story is perfectly overwrought as thespian Alan. Lubatti does good work as the businesslike criminal Charlie, Josey Montana McCoy is quite comical as the elderly Alfie and Lynn Robert Berg is terrific as the supercilious lawyer, Harry.

Directors Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott do a great job of staging the play in a visually engaging and swiftly paced way and get the most from their talented ensemble. Music director Rod Bagheri and his musicians provide lively tunes for the show, including one number in which seven people playing washboards are onstage at once, which seems like it should be some sort of record. Scenic designer Frederica Nascimento’s set seems appropriately inspired by the Pop Art of the story’s era, and Garry Lennon’s costumes evoke early Beatles British fashion.

Richard Bean’s play is exquisitely constructed, but the very complicated plot isn’t really the point. All of those details are just pegs to hang the payoffs of farce upon, reasons to slam doors and create double identities and heap indignities on poor Alfie. Line by line, it’s very witty, from his Alan’s description of Pauline (“unsoiled by education, like a new bucket”) or Alan’s reason for changing his name from Orlando (“Angry Young Men are writing plays about Alans”). It’s also a fantastic vehicle for a certain kind of lead actor.

One Man, Two Guvnors is one of the most sheerly entertaining shows I’ve seen this year, or in many years. A Noise Within has done it again, and you should secure your tickets for this production before it sells out.

One Man, Two Guvnors is presented by and at A Noise Within and plays through September 28, 2025. Tickets are available at https://www.anoisewithin.org/