Busman's Honeymoon Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...Happily, Lifeline long ago found Peter Greenberg to play Lord Peter -- a character whom Sayers reportedly described as landing somewhere between Bertie Wooster and Fred Astaire. Greenberg is closer to the former that the latter, but his English accent is close to perfect, and he pays attention to his fellow's little insecurities, thus rounding out the character. The charming Jenifer Tyler, who first played Harriet in "Gaudy Night," is back once again. She also has exactly the right balance of tone."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...This is Lifeline's fourth production based on works of Dorothy L. Sayers, whose between-the-world-wars detective stories captured a period of rigid class lines and burgeoning feminism in Britain. Frances Limoncelli, the deft and witty adapter, has maintained the smart, drolly comic tone that defines these stories. So have actors Peter Greenberg (an ideal embodiment of Lord Peter, an aristocrat far deeper than he lets on) and Jenifer Tyler (a steely twig of a woman clearly altered by love)."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Limoncelli’s finely honed her appreciation of the novelist’s wit and erudition over the course of the series; Paul S. Holmquist's lovingly detailed staging does her script justice, lavishing attention on every look and gesture from Peter Greenberg as the lofty Lord Peter Wimsey, Jenifer Tyler as his brand-new bride, and Phil Timberlake as the fastidious valet. Their supercilious wit cloaks a deep care for others and highlights the cluelessness of the local bumpkins: a sweep protective of his chimneys, a cranky housekeeper, and a dithery church organist, also the niece of the deceased."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...And all in a swiftly-paced two and a half hours, too. Frances Limoncelli's tidy script proceeds smartly under Paul M. Holmquist's brisk, but never overhurried, direction. Peter Greenberg and Jenifer Tyler reprise their roles as the worldly lovers, flanked by Phil Timberlake as their unflappable ( well, almost unflappable ) butler. Millicent Hurley and James E. Grote as sturdy bucolic tradespersons. David Skvarla and Adam Breske as the local constabulary. And Rob Kauzlaric, Kate Harris, Paul Myers and Christopher M. Walsh as assorted suspects."

Chicago Free Press - Highly Recommended

"...Director Paul S. Holmquist corrals a large cast, deftly staging a number of busy scenes across Mary Griswold’s smart two-tiered set. As they build towards the second-act reveal, we get fine supporting turns from Robert Kauzlaric, Millicent Hurley, Kate Harris and, most of all, Phil Timberlake (as the near-unflappable Bunter). The solution’s charm comes from the reveal that the crime had partly been executed before our very noses—but the play’s lasting punch comes from its unexpected but emotionally powerful coda, reminding us that murder is not really about entertainment."

Copley News Service - Recommended

"...The play does have its pleasures. Sayers draws a few amusing character studies of the local yokels. Wimsey’s perfect butler Bunter goes ballistic when he discovers that a house servant had shaken every bottle in a case of port treasured by his lordship, thereby rendering the wine undrinkable for two weeks until the sediment resettles."

Centerstage - Highly Recommended

"...Steeped in delicious restraint, martini-dry humor and enough double entendres to make Oscar Wilde blush in his grave, "Busman's Honeymoon" is a delightful, though abruptly anguished, romp through murder-mystery mayhem. A tension-filled cast of townies are the suspects of the mystery and provide an unruly mixture of sympathy and camp, of heartache and stereotype."

Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended

"...Director Paul S. Holmquist tells a sharp story at a brisk pace with a sophisticated cast, striking the perfect balance between whodunit and love story with a generous helping of humor to ice this tasty cake. If period-piece murder mysteries are your fancy, you’ll be in heaven with Busman’s Honeymoon. Lifeline delivers a captivating construct of upper class detective dabbling."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...Greenberg and Tyler, as the newlyweds Lord Peter and Harriet Vane, wear their characters like familiar outfits. The deftest performance comes from Timberlake as the reliably unflappable butler Bunter; his second-act fury at finding Lord Peter’s port disturbed is wondrous to behold. Honeymoon comes most alive in its grand set pieces, whether the early tour de force of misdirection involving the handyman Puffett or the climactic scene in which Lord Peter assembles the pieces of the puzzle before our eyes. While the play might have been streamlined by 30 minutes or so, it’s still a thoroughly entertaining confection."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...If you enjoy clever mysteries peopled by freshly wacky characters deftly performed by a talented veteran cast, then Lifeline’s Busman’s Honeymoon is for you. This is a funny, sophisticated thriller and another outstanding turn from Peter Greenberg and Jenifer Tyler. The Winsey’s are most engaging."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended

"...Paul S. Holmquist has directed this smashing affair with style, economy and crisp pacing. It's sprinkled with literary references, from Tennyson to Shakespeare to Kipling, befitting a company dedicated to the exploration of fine literature on stage. And the irreplaceable duo of real-life acting couple Peter Greenberg and Jennifer Tyler are absolute perfection as lovebirds Peter and Harriet."

Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended

"...There is much here that fans, familiar with both Sayers’ books and/or Lifeline’s series of adaptations, will thoroughly enjoy. The scenes of the rapacious press on Wimsey’s heels are fun and precise in their execution. The scene of the villagers bursting into song creates a much-needed sense of community. The vicar with his blunderbuss is a riot. The rant that Bunter (Phil Timberlake) breaks into over the disturbance of his lord’s delicate port is precious, as is the enmity that it sets up between him and Mrs. Ruddle (Millicent Hurley) from thereon."