Leave it to Psmith, and he’ll leave you wanting more

Blair’s fall play, “Leave It to Psmith!”, was a delightful mix of humor, charm, and absurdity. Based on three of P.G. Wodehouse’s works —”Leave It to Psmith”, with subplots from “The Clicking of Cuthbert” and “The Purity of the Turf”— the adaptation directed by Blair’s theater teacher Kelly O’Connor transported audiences to the world of Blandings castle with both humor and style. 

The play opened with a lively, old-timey musical number, set in a bustling 1920s fish market. Amid the chaos of fishmongers tossing their wares, Psmith (Asher Howell/Darryl Wormley) entered, his classy striped suit and dangling monocle immediately standing out. After being struck by a flying fish to the head, Psmith resigned from his job in the market and posted an ad offering his services for “any job that needs doing.” This sudden introduction set the tone for the adventures that would unfold.

After this, Psmith, newly jobless, aimlessly wandered around London where he happened to run into the absentminded Lord Emsworth (Riley MacArthur/Ben Kirby). Emsworth mistook him for the poet Ralston McTodd, whom he’d been tasked by his domineering sister, Lady Constance (Sabine Kitenge/Malaika Wande) to invite to the Blandings literary Society. Seeing the opportunity for an adventure, Psmith eagerly played along and joined the chaotic household at Blandings Castle.

Lady Constance’s prized diamond necklace then became the centerpiece of the main plot. Freddie Threepwood (Ari Joshi/Marcella Verchinski), Emsworth’s cash-strapped son, concocted a plan to steal the necklace to fund his latest business venture. Enlisting Psmith’s help, Freddie’s enthusiasm was matched only by his utter ineptitude — resulting in a series of hilarious missteps in his plan. Psmith, ever resourceful, improvised absurd yet oddly effective excuses to keep their scheme afloat, creating moments of physical comedy and sharp dialogue that kept the audience laughing.

Amid the chaos, Psmith struck up a budding romance with Eve Halliday (Elena Hundertmark/Casey Pendergast), a sharp-witted librarian hired to organize the castle’s library, which balanced the ridiculous and comedic moments with genuine warmth.

 Additional subplots provided more layers of humor and intrigue. One followed Adeline (Jules Allen/Tewobsta Gebretsadik), Lady Constance’s daughter, as she found herself torn between the up-and-coming author Raymond Parsloe Devine (Lark Jeffers/Petey de Brauw) and the bumbling but sincere golfer Cuthbert Banks (Jaime Lozada McBride, Marxer Caldwell). The other subplot revolved around a race betting syndicate, where Freddie and his friends placed increasingly ridiculous bets on events that were cleverly rigged by the fishy young man Rupert Steggles (Ellie Romney/Elliott Baker). This storyline ended in a hilarious slow-motion scene where actors staggered dramatically toward the finish line, with onlooking betters cheering and groaning in a similar fashion.

The production design also added to the play’s immersive charm. Every detail was carefully planned — whether it was the castle walls being hand-painted and textured with plaster to mimic the look of bricks, or the lush floral arrangements that transported the audience to the English countryside. Immense love and care was put into the creation of the set, which added to the unique charm of the production. “We even named our paint colors,” says Jett Curran-Broda, the stage manager for the play. “The first one we named was Robert, a brown we use as the base for almost everything.” 

The play concluded with a celebratory dance featuring the entire cast, tying up the many different threads of the story together in a grand finale. With its sharp humor and meticulous design, “Leave it to Psmith!” brought Wodehouse’s world to the stage with style — leaving audiences thoroughly entertained, and eager for more.