DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER
BY MARC CAMOLETTI &
ROBIN HAWDON
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL REID
with permission from Concord Theatricals
JULY 11-27, 2025
Bernard is planning a romantic weekend with his chic Parisian mistress in his charming converted French farmhouse, whilst his wife, Jacqueline, is away. He has arranged for a cordon bleu cook to prepare gourmet delights, and has invited his best friend, Robert, along too to provide the alibi. It's foolproof; what could possibly go wrong? Well... suppose Robert turns up not realizing quite why he has been invited. Suppose Robert and Jacqueline are secret lovers, and consequently determined that Jacqueline will NOT leave for the weekend. Suppose the cook has to pretend to be the mistress and the mistress can't cook. Suppose everyone's alibi gets confused with everyone else's. An evening of hilarious confusion ensues as Bernard and Robert improvise at breakneck speed.
This boulevard comedy was a smash hit in Paris, where it played for over two years, and in London, where it ran for six years at the Apollo and Duchess Theatres. It has since played in theatres all over the USA and the English speaking world and was revived in Chicago and on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre in 2012. This production was nominated for two Tony awards. (Concord Theatricals)
CAST
BERNARD: MICHAEL BRIGGS
JACQUELINE: KATIE NORCROSS
ROBERT: MATTHEW THOGERSON
SUZANNE: RUBY SILBERSTEIN
SUZETTE: HOLLY COOPER
GEORGE: KYLE JOHNSON
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR: MICHAEL REID
PRODUCTION MANAGER: ERIN KNITTLE
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR & STAGE MANAGER: ALICE TANZILLO
COSTUME DESIGNER: LAURIE ROBERTSON
HAIR & MAKEUP: HEIDI MCECHRON
PROPS: KATIE WAGNER
SCENIC PAINTER: ADALINE MCCORMICK
LIGHTING DESIGNER: WAYNE SIMONS
SCENIC DESIGNER: KRISTEN BENNETT
SET DRESSING & LEAD CARPENTER: ALLEN PHILLIPS
SOUND DESIGNER: AUTUMN BOCHART
PLAYWRIGHTS
Marc Camoletti (1923-2003) authored more than 40 plays and became a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in France. Boeing Boeing, his first major international success, ran for seven years and 2000 performances in its debut London production. It became the Guinness Book of Records' most performed French play worldwide. The Paramount film starred Jerry Lewis, Tony Curtis and Thelma Ritter.
A later play, Don’t Dress for Dinner, also ran for seven years in London’s West End. A French citizen, born in Geneva, and an acclaimed artist and associate of the Société National des Beaux Arts, Marc Camoletti launched his theatre career with three plays running simultaneously in Paris. Ten of his plays have also been produced for television. His work continues to flourish in numerous languages and some 55 countries.
MARC CAMOLETTI
Robin Hawdon is a British playwright especially known for the popularity of his comedies. Mr. Hawdon’s plays are amongst the most frequently produced around the world – his name is as well known abroad as in his native Great Britain. Many of his plays are published by Samuel French/Concord. Over recent years his plays have appeared in mainstream theatres in the UK, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Paris, Moscow, Warsaw, Krakow, Bonn, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tel Aviv, Russia, Italy, Ukraine, South Africa, Australia, and in hundreds of smaller theatres across every continent. Their popularity, amongst professional and amateur companies alike, is due to the fast pace and comic complexity of their plot lines, combined with an essential humanity and reality in their characterisation.
