Richmond Hill Players’ next production is billed as a hilarious tribute to the English farces of the 1930s and ’40s. Ken Ludwig’s “A Fox on the Fairway” (which premiered in 2010 and was done at Moline’s Playcrafters in 2013) takes audiences on a riotous ride that recalls the classics of the Marx Brothers, according to an RHP release.

Set amid the leafy greens of Quail Valley Country Club, the story unfolds on the day Quail Valley faces its oldest rival, nearby Crouching Squirrel Golf and Racquet Club, for the golf tournament of the decade. Battle lines are drawn and the two clubs, like Greece and Troy, assemble their bravest heroes and play on to the final, madcap putt. Along the way these arch-rivals get entangled in wagers, injuries, and romance with uproarious mayhem as they do whatever it takes to save face, win their bets and get their lives in order.

In the script foreword, Ludwig wrote that it’s is an ode to the very specific style and tradition of English farce.

“I’ve written this play… as a reminder of the values this tradition embodies… innocence, humor, good sportsmanship, and honor,” the prolific playwright wrote. “My hope is that it is still possible to come together in a darkened theater and embrace these values with a sense of joy.”

The RHP cast features Jackie Patterson (Geneseo), David Beeson and Jessica Moore (Kewanee); Sarah Carrington and Samuel Carrington (Galesburg); and David Shaffer (Moline).

Tom Morrow (Rock Island) directs the show, which will be performed July 10-12 and 17-19 at 7:30 p.m., and at 3 p.m. Sundays, July 13 and 20, at the Barn Theater, Richmond Hill Park in Geneseo.

Ludwig’s first play, “Lend Me a Tenor,” won two Tony Awards, and he’s also earned two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Helen Hayes Awards, the Charles MacArthur Award and the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year. His other plays include Moon Over Buffalo, Leading Ladies, Baskerville, Sherwood, Twentieth Century, Dear Jack, Dear Louise, A Comedy of Tenors, The Game’s Afoot, Shakespeare in Hollywood and Murder on the Orient Express.

RHP admission is $12, and tickets are available at 309-944-2244, or at rhplayers.com. An audio description performance will be on Friday, July 11.

Richmond Hill’s new production of Ken Ludwig’s “A Fox on the Fairway” includes (L-R) David Beeson, Jackie Patterson, Jessica Moore, and Samuel Carrington.

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Jonathan Turner

Jonathan Turner -- who has called the Quad Cities home since 1995 -- has decades of experience as a professional journalist and pianist. His experience writing for daily newspapers, public radio and local TV encompasses a wide range of subjects, including the arts, politics, education, economic development, historic preservation, business, and tourism.

Jonathan most loves writing about music and the arts (which he now does as a freelancer for the River Cities Reader and Visit Quad Cities). He has a passion for accompanying musicals, singers, choirs and instrumentalists, including playing for QC Music Guild's 2023 productions of RENT and SWEENEY TODD. He is assistant music director and accompanist for the spring 2025 Music Guild show, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. He wrote an original musical based on The Book of Job, which premiered at Playcrafters in 2010. Jonathan penned a 175-page history book about downtown Davenport, that was published by The History Press in 2016, and a travel guide about the QC published by Reedy Press in 2022.