The plot has a few twists and turns along the way, but at its heart, it has English shoe clerk Harry Witherspoon (played by Vince Wingerter) set to inherit $6 million from an uncle he didn’t even know existed if he can do one small thing. He has to take the dead uncle on an extensive vacation to Monte Carlo so he can live out his life’s dream in death since he couldn’t do it in life. If Witherspoon fails to meet any of the details outlined in the will, the whole inheritance will go to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. The nonprofit hound hotel even sends a spy of sorts in hopes of catching Witherspoon in a slipup so the dog lovers get the money.

 

Toss in a possible mob hit and a girlfriend on the trail and comedy quickly ensues. The show has bits of everything — slinky lounge acts, dead dudes in a wheelchair and a rabid dog lover with an idealistic view of the world that crashes with reality.

 

Several things make this show a fun one to watch. Tops among all of those is that each member of the cast brings a solid performance to the stage. Everyone looked like they were having fun and properly hamming up their roles to add to the show. I would argue, however, that the hamming could have been even meatier to bring the script well over the top of all things funny. The one flaw of sorts is that with a script that is this funny and campy the more campy and over the top the performances the better the show will become. The actors hit the comedy mark in this show, but the camp really didn’t bubble over often enough to cause spleen rupturing. 

 

But other than that, the show brought everything it promised to deliver. 

One thing of particular note is the set. Hashing up shows staged in the round where audiences sit on all sides can mean theaters go skimpy on the sets so they don’t block the view of anyone in the seats. This show got around it with rotating doors and acting in the aisles. Clever stuff.

The show, directed by Micheal O’Hara, is fun to watch and is one of those shows that is just fun to see. It’s not great theater, but it is a solid day of entertainment. 

[Lakewood Playhouse, through Oct. 5, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $21-$24, pay-what-you-can Sept. 11 at 8 p.m., actor benefit matinee Oct. 4 at 2 p.m., 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd. S.W., Lakewood Towne Center off exit 125, Lakewood, 253.588.0042, www.lakewoodplayhouse.org]

Now playing

• At issue in I Hate Hamlet is whether a man can survive his own ego even after he is dead. Legendary stage actor John Barrymore finds himself passing on his little bits of wit and wisdom to help an up-and-coming television actor as he faces the role of a lifetime that will launch his career. The only trouble about this whole thing is that Barrymore is dead. And the two don’t particularly like each other. 
  
  
  
  [Olympia Little Theatre, through Oct. 5, $10-$12, 1925 Miller Ave. N.E., Olympia, 360.786.9484, www.olympialittletheatre.org]

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  [State Theater, through Sept. 13, $12-$33, 202 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.786.0151]