Wingfield’s Progress

Wingfield’s Progress is perfect summer fare and a great fit for Valley Summer Theatre. It’s fueled by gentle humour and the rubber-faced, chameleon-like talents of actor Ron Beattie. In this installment of playwright Dan Needles’ popular series, the bucolic Persephone Township is threatened by a heartless developer whose plans to build luxury homes are thwarted by would-be-farmer Walt Wingfield and his wide variety of charming but rough-around-the-edges neighbours. Beattie, of course, plays all the roles, and never misses a beat. Part of the pleasure of watching a Wingfield play comes from the apparent joy that Beattie gets, even after years of repetition, from the clever dialogue and crazy situations. While the jokes are not the kind that will have you rolling in the aisles, you’ll certainly leave grinning from ear to ear. (KW)