Marc Camoletti's Fast-Paced Farce 'Boeing Boeing' Lands at Hampton Theatre Company

The Hampton Theatre Company continues its milestone 40th season with Marc Camoletti’s high-flying comedy “Boeing Boeing,” which takes the stage at the Quogue Community Hall from March 13 to March 30. This madcap farce, known for its rapid-fire wit and slapstick humor, marks HTC’s 135th production since its founding in 1984.

Set in 1960s Paris, “Boeing Boeing” follows Bernard, a suave bachelor who has perfected the art of juggling three fiancées — each an airline stewardess from a different country — Gabriella from Italy, Gretchen from Germany and Gloria from the United States. With the help (and exasperation) of his housekeeper, Berthe, Bernard meticulously schedules his romantic escapades based on their flight timetables.

But when his old friend, Robert, visits and the arrival of new, faster jets threatens to upend his carefully crafted routine, chaos ensues. Doors slam, lies unravel and Bernard’s once-flawless system spirals into pure comedic mayhem.

Originally debuting in London in 1962, “Boeing Boeing” went on to become a record-breaking hit, earning a seven-year West End run and later finding success on Broadway. The 2008 Broadway revival, starring Kathryn Hahn, Bradley Whitford, Mark Rylance and Gina Gershon, won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. In 1991, the play was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the most-performed French play worldwide.

HTC’s production features a dynamic cast, with returning HTC performer Molly Brennan (“A Doll’s House, Part 2”) as Gabriella. Making their HTC debuts are Kevin Russo as Bernard, Jill Linden as Berthe, Jason Moreland as Robert, Samm Jenny as Gloria and Emily Vaeth as Gretchen. Catherine Clyne, known for her work with Playcrafters Theatre Company in Bellport, directs the production, with HTC veteran George Loizides serving as producer.

Loizides chose the show after HTC’s previous run of Camoletti’s “Don’t Dress for Dinner,” which he described as a huge success for the theater company — both artistically and financially.

“‘Boeing Boeing’ actually precedes ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner,’ but both are fast-paced, farcical and incredibly funny,” Loizides said. “I like that kind of humor.”

Additionally, Loizides took the opportunity with this production to collaborate with director Catherine Clyne, who is new to the Hampton Theatre Company, but someone Loizides worked with before in another company. He saw this show as a great way to bring Clyne into the fold.

“I decided to produce for her,” Loizides said.

The actors in “Boeing Boeing” say they are having a wonderful time bringing the show together with the crew. The challenge has been the perfection of the variety of accents the characters must take on.

For Linden, mastering the French accent of Berthe, the housekeeper, which didn’t come easily to her.

“I’m okay at some other accents — I can do German for some reason and Russian,” she said. “I can do Southern. But French was difficult for me, even though I took seven years of French in my life.”

To tackle this, she turned to online resources, using tapes and a translator that allowed her to hear different variations of French accents, from Metropolitan to Canadian. “I gleaned certain techniques from that, which were very helpful,” she said.

Likewise, for Brennan as Gabriella, the biggest challenge — and excitement — of the show has been mastering the Italian accent. Having taken a dialect class in college, Brennan has always been interested in accents, so she reached out to one of her former professors for guidance.

“He basically phonetically transcribed my entire script, giving me all the substitutions for the accent so I could do it in the clearest and most concise way — ensuring the audience grasps the storytelling while keeping the accent true to the Italian character and also playing into the stereotypes of what people think an Italian woman should sound like and act like,” she said.

Beyond the accent work, Brennan also emphasized the fast-paced nature of the show.

“You want to make sure you’re getting across your part of the story. There are certain lines that are not only fun to say but also very important to the storyline.”

For Brennan, the challenge has been balancing the comedic, over-the-top elements of the play with an honest portrayal of her character while keeping the momentum of the play moving forward.

Like Brennan, Linden notes that she had to adjust to the fast-paced, farcical style of the show.

“Just the over-the-top farce was something I had to get used to as well. I’ve done farces, but it’s not always in my wheelhouse,” she said.

Both actresses have fallen in love with their characters in their own ways. Brennan loves Gabriella’s strength and determination. She describes her as a woman who “knows what she wants, knows how to get it.”

One of the most interesting aspects of the character is the contrast between how Bernard sees her and who she truly is. Bernard views her as a traditional woman who simply follows the man, (this show is set in the 1960s, remember) but as the show unfolds, it becomes clear that Gabriella has a strong and almost even a manipulative side.

Brennan appreciates how Gabriella uses Bernard’s perception of her to her advantage.

“She knows how to get what she wants,” she said, “and she uses those kind of characteristics that maybe he thinks about her as a way to get what she wants.”

For Brennan, this makes Gabriella a dynamic and fascinating character to play.

Conversely, Linden loves that her character allows her to be snarky and sarcastic without consequences.

“I get to say all these lines and all the things that I would normally love to say without repercussions. I get to get all that out,” she explained.

She also enjoys the emotional release that comes with her character’s breakdown on stage, describing it as a cathartic experience. Since Berthe is Bernard’s housekeeper and in on the complicated ruse, she spends much of the show in a state of exasperation, trying to hold it together, but ultimately speaks her mind — sometimes even muttering under her breath.

“She gets it all out, and that is a wonderful feeling, something that I’m not particularly good at in life sometimes or have to deal with repercussions when I am,” Linden admits. “So let’s say it’s freeing.”

The creative team of “Boeing Boeing” includes set designer Joe Kenny, lighting designer Sebastian Paczynski and costume designer Teresa Lebrun. Other team members include costume designer Teresa LeBrun, Meg Sexton for sound design and Rob Reeve and Alex White as sound engineers.

Performances of HTC’s “Boeing Boeing” are March 13 to March 30, with shows on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. A special Saturday matinee will be held on March 29 at 2:30 p.m. Audience members can also engage with the cast during post-show talkbacks following the March 21 and March 28 performances. Tickets are $40 ($36 for seniors, $25 students and $30 for veterans and Native Americans) at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955. Quogue Community Hall is at 125 Jessup Avenue in Quogue.