STAGE REVIEW : GOLD STAR FOR NORTH COAST PLAY

Within all of us lurks a demon that occasionally longs to put the universe in man-made order, with neat little labels for people, places and things.

British playwright Michael Frayn (“Noises Off”) confronts this demon in his comedy, “Alphabetical Order,” at the North Coast Repertory Theatre through Sept. 1. Both play and production get gold stars, confirming again that North Coast is a secret too well-kept from area audiences.

Director Dani Livingston, co-designing with Dan Cork, has re-created the cluttered library of a rural English newspaper with a madwoman’s glee. Old clippings, open file drawers, a mustachioed portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and a generally trashed appearance set the tone for the odd collection of characters who soon appear.

It is prim Leslie’s first day as assistant librarian. Her first encounter is with Geoffrey, a sword-wielding delivery clerk in pirate’s attire who charges through the dusty library door, covered in printer’s ink and spewing out his rapid-fire commentary on the place.

Before long, Frayn has filled the stage with one-in-a-million characters: the boozing old-timer Arnold who “works” by tippling away in the library and getting underfoot as a small child might; John, younger, more available, the consummate intellectual who chooses his words so carefully they never quite complete sentences; Nora, in outrageously gaudy costume jewelry (she’s a feature writer, of course), and Wally, who only communicates in flirtatious cliches but never means a word of it.

Central to this menagerie is the real prize, Lucy the librarian. She’s mother, nanny, straight-woman, friend, as scattered as the folders she tosses to the floor in her own unique “filing” system.

As the noise level builds, we begin to see the contrasts between Leslie and Lucy--the coldly efficient, ambitiously calculating organizer versus the warm and huggable, delightfully imperfect woman who enjoys her strange co-workers as if they were a part of herself.

But Lucy thinks, as we so often foolishly do, that if only she were more organized, if she had someone to tidy things up into neat--alphabetical--order, life would breeze peacefully by.

With jolly satire that spares little, Frayn demonstrates just how dismal things would be if we ever did convert the natural order into that which our little minds can conceive.

“Alphabetical Order” can be enjoyed on many levels. Anyone who has ever gone to a new job will delight in Leslie’s dismay over her new co-workers. On the other hand, anyone who has ever trained a gung-ho newcomer will empathize with Lucy. Of course, journalist types will love Frayn’s special zings at the media biz, and students of political philosophy will find ample fuel for after-theater discussions.

But most pleasing of all is the skill with which the comedy is presented. The intimacy of North Coast’s performing space enhances the feeling that we, too, are part of these people. The acting is so effective, even at close range, that our total belief is instantly achieved.

Livingston has worked wonders with the many scenes of simultaneous chatter, expertly synchronizing the group into a chorus of comedy.

Lynette Winter, in a performance that is simply excellent, makes Lucy so vivid we can’t help loving her. Let’s hope Winter’s return to the stage after a long teaching stint is a permanent one. Likewise, it will be nice to see more of newcomer Ray Chambers, whose John is ripely British, his delivery so confident that it is immensely successful in conveying John’s over-educated confusion.

Wendy Cullum as Nora, Bob Blomgren as Geoffrey, Jim Holcomb as Arnold, Cathy Pinneker as Leslie and Andy Nichols as Wally add rousingly good performances that reinforce the whole.

With so much excellence, the minor failures were that much more distracting. Andy Nichols needs a little help from his hairdresser to get the gray temples right. A squirt-gun bit added to the curtain call seemed jarringly out of context.

Other details added distinction, such as the use of a glassed-in hallway outside the library for some scenes.

Frayn’s quips (“Don’t read,” Lucy admonishes, “reading causes a variety of pathological disorders”) are put together in high style, but his ending comes about 10 minutes too late. We’ve gone from blissful anarchy to Leslie-enforced order, a comparison that makes one instantly appreciative of our capacity for glorious idiosyncrasies. But instead of ending with the climactic scene in which humanity re-blossoms in his microcosmic newspaper, Frayn seems to change his mind, reversing himself in a muddied ending--selling out, it seems. If he intended some further message, it is lost in the confusion of a poor ending.

But it’s easy to forgive a writer who didn’t know when to quit because the rest is so much fun. In fact, tickets may be hard to find when San Diegans discover what’s happening at North Coast. “Alphabetical Order” deserves the attention of anyone who likes to absorb good acting in a good play.

“ALPHABETICAL ORDER” Michael Frayn’s comedy at North Coast Repertory Theatre, Solana Beach. Olive Blakistone, artistic director. Directed by Dani Livingston. Set design by Dan Cork/Dani Livingston. Costumes by Kathryn Gould. Lighting by Tim Foley. Sound by Marvin Read. Stage manager is Gisele Papen. With Cathy Pinneker, Bob Blomgren, Jim Holcomb, Ray Chambers, Lynette Winter, Wendy Cullum, Andy Nichols. Thursdays through Sundays through Sept. 1 at 971-A Lomas Sante Fe Drive, Solana Beach.