Meet The Neighbours’ is one of those sweet comedies so full of subtle and not-so-subtle humour, ideally suited for an intimate theatre ambience, which the JCAC amphi-theatre Angala, provides so appropriately.

In this staged-reading production, the middle-class couple, Ted & Carol, so well-presented by Shashi & Nima, are a quintessential pair who are, kind of, obsessed with warming up to their neighbours in the newly moved-into neighbourhood.

The whole dramatic episode revolves around Carol & Ted’s preparations to receive their neighbours, Gwen & Camilla, for dinner. What follows when their 2 neighbours drop in is loaded with dialogues laced with humour; when Gwen’s mother Violet barges into Ted-Carol’s home uninvited, hilarious dialogues keeps the audience  laughing all the way.

All in all a very enjoyable production. Now coming to the performances — Shashi & Nima, set the tone of the play with Carol’s nagging and Ted’s classic harassed-husband responses! Both excel in their histrionics keeping the audience entertained.

When Gwen & Camilla — played by Meenu & Sumana — walk into the house, they add significantly to the entertainment quotient of the play.

Of course, the barging in of Gwen’s mother Violet, so unabashedly enacted & played so beautifully by Kitty, takes the play to different heights with she (Violet) revealing to the hosts that Gwen & Camilla are moving out soon — such an anti-climax to Ted and Carol, and so funnily deflating to the audience.

Each of the actors stood out with good comic timings, especially Nima & Shashi. Lighting & music added to uplift the play. This being the first show, it definitely deserves many more shows.

—A theatre buff