Mutiny on the Bunty!
“Deep down, all I really wanted was to be part of one of those corny T.V. commercials, where the almost naked girl strides dripping out of a tropical sea, to the strains of Mahler, to where a bronzed gorilla waits on the beach for her with a Bacardi in each hand, and a bathing costume about to split at the seams with lust!”
Carol
Robin Hawdon is a man of many talents. He was revered as an actor then turned his hand to writing plays and later authored novels. His comedy Don’t Rock the Boat is set in the 1990s on a canal boat moored on a riverbank. The Bullheads own the boat called The Bunty, incidentally the name of the playwright’s mother. Arthur Bullhead (Stephen Pinder) is a property developer who talks nineteen to the dozen, his wife Mary does the catering. Arthur has asked a local councillor and solicitor John Coombes (Harry Gostelow) and family to stay on the boat for the weekend.
Arthur’s motive is to bribe John Coombes into backing his proposal for the merger of two local schools releasing one of the sites for redevelopment, a supermarket and petrol station, and huge profits for Arthur.
Arthur and Mary have an assertive 17 year old daughter called Shirley (Francesca Barrett) and John and Carol Coombes (Rachel Fielding) have brought their self-effacing daughter Wendy (Hannah Brown). Wendy and Shirley are in the same year at the same school but not friends.
So we have here a comedy of manners set in the era of corruption of those with the power to award local contracts to developers prepared to pay. Stephen Pinder as Arthur puts on a spellbinding performance with his almost continuous dialogue, allocating blame to anything forgotten or going wrong on the trip to others. Harry Gostelow as John Coombes is stuffy and we learn, hypocritical.
Mary is eclipsed by her husband but Rachel Fielding is charming as Carol and determined to enjoy the weekend. Carol is the easiest character to warm to but I also really enjoyed watching the daughters. Shirley looses some of her desire to be “cool” and brings Wendy out of her shell as they illustrate teenage priorities and steal away from their families.
Almost the biggest star is Jackie Hutson’s picture prefect set of The Bunty, the beautiful banks and the trees and river surround. The boat itself has all the detail needed with its necessarily cramped quarters allowing a view into the Coombes’ cabin. You could let this set out as an Air B ‘n B!
Sally Hughes is directing here on home territory but looking back thirty years to the rural peace of the riverside only marred by arguing families, well men actually! There is large irony in Hawdon’s plot of political disagreement and much to amuse in a gentle way.
I find it very refreshing to be at the Mill at Sonning with its carefully chosen programme of pleasing productions, leaving the edgy and provocative to others. As a dining theatre, it has the pleasure of delicious suppers making a perfect night out in an idyllic setting.
Production Notes
Don’t Rock the Boat
Written by Robin Hawdon
Directed by Sally Hughes
Cast
Starring:
Francesca Barrett
Hannah Brown
Rachel Fielding
Harry Gostelow
Melanie Gutteridge
Stephen Pinder
Creatives
Director: Sally Hughes
Set Designer: Jackie Hutson
Costume Designer: Natalie Kitchener
Lighting and Sound Designer: Graham Weymouth
Information
Running Time: Two hours 20 minutes including an interval
Booking to 6th September 2025
Theatre:
The Mill at Sonning Theatre
Sonning Eye
Reading
RG4 6TY
Website: millatsonning.com
Box Office: (0118) 969 8000
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge
at the Mill at Sonning
on 18th July 2025