Bull *

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The latest production in 59E59's Brits Off Broadway series is Mike Bartlett's companion piece to his clever play "Cock (a/k/a The Cockfight Play)." Like the earlier play, this one, subtitled "The Bullfight Play," takes place in an arena-like setting. The arena in "Cock" actually resembled a bullring more than this set, which looks more like a carpeted boxing ring with a water cooler in the corner. There's a low glass wall around the playing area for a portion of the audience to stand behind. The setup is simple: three employees are about to meet their boss Carter (Neil Stuke) to find out which one is going to be fired. The icy Isobel (Eleanor Matsuura) and the smooth, devious Tony (Adam James) take turns tormenting the milquetoast Thomas (Sam Troughton) until he can endure it no longer. Apparently "bull" is really short for "bullying" in this instance. Toward play's end, Isobel makes a case that victims of bullying deserves it, because it is a necessary Darwinian tool for culling the gene pool. The actors are all first-rate, but the proceedings are too nasty for my taste. I fear that Bartlett has lost his way, giving too much attention to set design gimmickry and too little attention to substantive playwriting. Claire Lizzimore's direction is assured. Running time: only 55 minutes, but that was more than enough.

Don't Dress for Dinner **

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Robin Howdon's English adaptation of this broad French farce by Marc Camoletti ran in London for six years. Go figure! The characters Bernard and Robert from his earlier success Boeing-Boeing are back. Bernard (Adam James), now married, is planning a weekend with his mistress Suzanne (Jennifer Tilly) while his wife Jacqueline (Patricia Kalember) is away visiting her mother. His best friend Robert (Ben Daniels), who, unbeknownst to Bernard, is Jacqueline's lover, is also spending the weekend. Bernard has engaged a chef, Suzette (Spencer Kayden), to prepare a romantic dinner. Jacqueline's abrupt cancellation of her trip sets off a tightly scripted round of mistaken identities, misunderstandings and pratfalls. The physical humor is extremely well-choreographed and the actors, except for Tilly, are very good. Daniels, who has the thankless task of portraying a character that Mark Rylance played, acquits himself admirably. Kayden repeatedly steals scenes. David Aron Damane makes the most of the small role of George. I suppose it's unrealistic to look for any depth of characterization in a farce, but I felt very little stake in what happened to anyone. What pleasure there is comes from watching the complications unfold with the precision of a Swiss clock. John Lee Beatty's set and William Ivey Long's costumes are fine. John Tillinger's direction keeps the action lively in this Roundabout production. Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, including intermission.