Playhouse wishes 'Many Happy Returns'

For the upcoming holiday season, the Laguna Playhouse is welcoming an old friend, Irish playwright Bernard Farrell, with its fourth American premiere of a Farrell script.

This time around, it's "Many Happy Returns," opening Nov. 19 following a week of previews. Playhouse Artistic Director Andrew Barnicle, who staged the theater's most recent Farrell comedy, "Lovers at Versailles," will be staging this Christmas-themed comedy.

"Irene and Arthur have their house festooned for the return of Declan, the self-made millionaire from New Zealand," Barnicle explained.

"If everything goes according to plan, Arthur's future is secure."

The celebration turns sour, however, when family and friends are reunited and "all the old secrets suddenly are unwrapped like the Christmas presents nobody ever wanted," Barnicle said.

Playwright Farrell has produced a prodigious body of work for stage, screen and television over the years, dating back to the 1970s.

His work has been translated into several languages and produced all over the world.

In addition to "Lovers at Versailles," the playhouse has given American audiences their first taste of Farrell's "Kevin's Bed" (2000) and "Stella by Starlight" (2001). Barnicle also directed those plays in their Laguna incarnations.

Performing in this first stateside production of "Many Happy Returns" will be Susan Duerden, Brendan Ford, Melanie Lora, Barry Lynch, Robin Pearson Rose and Nick Ullett. Backstage, the regular design team of Dwight Richard Odle (setting), Paulie Jenkins (lighting) and Julie Keen (costumes) will be making their contributions.

"Many Happy Returns" will be presented Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. The theater will be dark on Thanksgiving Day.

For tickets, call (949) 497-2787. Subscriptions packages that include this play are available for purchase.20051111h3hei2kf(LA)