This Saturday at the Teatro España in Santa Eulalia comes a performance in English of the classic play, Dinner for One. It's a short piece of just one hour long and starts at 9pm with a small entrance fee of just €8.
The play is highly visual so even those people who's level of English isn't that high, will be able to enjoy and understand the play. The entire piece is on the birthday of an upper class English lady, Miss Sophie who hosts an annual celebration dinner each year for her friends.
Due to Miss Sophie's advanced years, she has practically outlived all her friends and so her equally elderly butler, James impersonates each guest in turn drinking and draining their glasses several times during each course. The laughter ensues after seeing James get progressively drunker and also showing his age, not being able to tell wines glasses from flower vases.
The vital exchange during each course goes:
James: “The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?”
Miss Sophie: “The same procedure as every year, James!”
The play was written by British playwright Lauri Wylie in the 1920's and became a fixture on Britain's seaside piers in the 1940's. It has gained a special notoriety in Germany where a version of it was recorded in 1963 in English with an introduction in German. Since then it has become a central part in Germany's New Year's Eve TV broadcasts. This sketch went on to become the most repeated TV programme ever. Versions of it are also popular in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria and Australia.
The play stars Fernando Cardona as Miss Sophie and Julian Watson Todd as James. A great thing additional thing is that at the end of the show, all theatregoers are invited to celebrate with canapés and a glass of cava on offer.
Tickets available from Holidays in Santa Eulalia and Holysport in Ibiza and places are limited so get yours now.
WORDS: Julian Heathcote
