THEATER REVIEW:

Just exactly why Noel Coward dubbed his 1925 comedy of clashing cultures “Hay Fever” is anyone’s guess. Certainly there are no allergic reactions to pollen mentioned or enacted in the play.

The “allergies” are more of a social nature, and this ancient example of Brit wit stirs them voraciously in the Newport Theater Arts Center’s latest production. This play is a dish meant to be overcooked, and director Michael Ross has set the burner on high.

Coward’s primary characters, allegedly modeled on his theatrical friends at the time, are a family of four strong-minded individualists, each pulling the story in a separate direction. When each invites a friend for the weekend without consulting the rest of the family, comedic chaos ensues. Who’ll sleep in the Japanese room and who gets consigned to “Little Hell?”

In order for a production of “Hay Fever” to succeed, it must have an extraordinary actress at its core. The role of Judith Bliss is that of a recently retired theatrical diva yearning for a return to the stage — and the spotlight, which she must reluctantly share at home with her novelist husband and two nearly grown children.

This requirement is joyously met in the performance of Beverly Turner. If ever a part and an actress were predestined, it’s happening in Newport. Previously seen at the arts center playing such self-involved characters as Jean in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and Irene in “Light Up the Sky,” Turner takes her Judith robustly over the top and down the other side in a terrific portrayal.

Turner heads an estimable ensemble that features two lower-key yet sharply effective performances from Paul Anderson and Susan Bartolme as her kids, who have been raised on the fringes of fame. Anderson glibly enacts the sophisticated Simon, while Bartolme pouts deliciously as the budding Sorel.

John Gilbert extracts more comic nuggets from his role as the father, David, than most actors generally accomplish with this rather drably written character. Gilbert turns the part into a strong intellectual force, and his clash with the family over the geography of Paris at the play’s end is particularly well done.

Of the four opposite-sex weekend guests, the most memorable performance comes from the least-showy source. Allison Eberly enacts the painfully shy Jackie with excruciating facial gestures and abject discomfort.

Lori Kelley as the asp-tongued Myra cuts a fashionable figure, visibly out of place in this nest of social predators. Christopher Freeman hits the proper British notes of stiff upper lipness, while Brian J. Page registers a tone of utter confusion.

There’s one other character in this set of outrageous mixed doubles. Roxanne Martinez scores as the surly maid, recruited from the theater where she served as Judith’s dresser.

Think Thelma Ritter reincarnated.

Bill Cole’s richly appointed old English country house suits the play immaculately. Donna Fritsche’s costumes are equally impressive — especially Turner’s flamboyant outfits.

Arrive early enough to catch the pre-show music, which features Coward’s clever ditties such as “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” and “Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs. Worthington.” All in all, a jolly good show.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Hay Fever”

WHERE: Newport Theater Arts Center, 2501 Cliff Drive, Newport Beach

WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays until Feb. 22.

COST: $15

CALL: (949) 631-0288

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews appear Thursdays.