STAGE REVIEW : ‘Absurd Person’ Starts as a Hoot

The newly refurbished West End Playhouse in Van Nuys looks sharper than ever. But the same can’t be said for its first production, Alan Ayckbourn’s “Absurd Person Singular,” as directed by Heidi Helen Davis.

This three-act comedy, set in three successive kitchens on three Christmas Eves, can be a howl in the right circumstances. At the West End, the first two acts are something of a hoot, if not a howl.

But the third act, when the Christmas cheer is at its least cheery, is another story. Davis’ staging becomes duller, not darker. During the first half of the act, the actors are locked into uninteresting blocking patterns. Their dialogue no longer crackles.

It doesn’t help that two long intermissions are required to transform the kitchen sets. While it’s initially interesting to watch the stagehands do their jobs, watching them do it twice seems excessive and drags down the pace of the evening.

Yet even after all that remodeling, the second and third kitchens, supposedly more upscale, look no bigger than the first one. Set designer Nicholas Dorr hasn’t solved this problem, which somehow wasn’t as noticeable in earlier productions.

The individual performances are stronger than the ensemble work. As the Mrs. Clean character, Rachel Dix is very funny, whether scrubbing inside her own washing machine or her host’s oven. Neil Hunt is very adept as the bored banker, the sort of fellow who needs a vacation but wouldn’t know what to do with it. Maggie Peach’s costumes are eye-catching confirmations of the characters’ personalities and classes.

At 7446 Van Nuys Blvd., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 6 p.m., through June 11. Tickets: $15-$17.50; (818) 904-0444 or (213) 466-1767.