Borrowing a phrase from the famed Forrest Gump, silly is as silly does.

And nothing could be applied more accurately to the silliness that is "Jeeves Takes a Bow," the adaptation of the P. G. Wodehouse classic that opened at Milwaukee Chamber Theater Friday night.

Go to this play and forget about a lot of your normal theater-going experiences. There are no hidden meanings. There are no social implications. There is nothing that demands well-focused attention.

This is fun for fun’s sake. It’s the big bowl of trifle that you get even without stuffing yourself on bangers and mash or fish and chips.

And under the wise and detailed direction of Tami Workentin, this English delight moves along at just the right pace, allowing time for both laughter and breath without forcing a single moment.

At the heart of the story are high living joy seeker Bertie Woosteras and his manservant Jeeves, the two cloistered in an Apartment in New York. Joining in the early going is Binky, a member of the English mission to the United States.

The tone is set early when it’s revealed that Binky is in love with Ruby LeRoy, an actress who is starring in a new concoction called "Naughty Natalie." To further his love interest, Binky has told Ruby that he is really Bertie (hope you are with me thus far). And he has told her that his friend, Binky (who in this case is really Bertie) will write a special song for her show, even though in reality Bertie (who is being called Binky) doesn't know anything about music. 

Along comes Vivienne Duckworth, a tightly bound English dame who is in New York for two purposes: to write a book about the seedy side of the city and to announce her engagement to the real Bertie. We add to this mix the gangster Knuckles McCann, who turns out is Ruby’s dad, and you can see the ensuing adventures coming from a mile away.

It’s one thing after another, with Jeeves remaining both above the fray and the solver of problems and fixer of any dilemma that may arise.

Trying to explain what happens each step along the way of this laugh-filled journey is a task beyond compare, but suffice it to say that the laughs are plenty and fulsome, and it’s an evening of relaxed joy.

Workentin had a magnificent cast and crew to work with on this froth.

The first thing we see is a spectacular set designed by Rick Rasmussen that lets us know right off the bat that we are in a New York apartment with double doors that are going to be part of this farce.

Matt Daniels is Jeeves, with the fabled stiff-upper-lip, anticipating the desires of everyone on the stage and expressing the utmost confidence in his ability to be the man who has all the answers. Daniels gives Jeeves just the right amount of detachment and involvement.

Chris Klopatek, who is one of the top comedic actors in Milwaukee, is the hapless Bertie (the real one). In both voice and physical abilities, he can get a laugh with the smallest of gestures or glances and is a delight to watch.

The rest of the cast, Chase Stoeger (Binky), Anna Cline (Ruby), Steven M. Koehler (Knuckles) and Kay Allmand (Vivienne) all have their moments to shine, and nobody misses the chance. Allmand is especially funny as she moves from the tightly bound matron to the slightly salacious slattern survivor of a tour of the seedy side with Knuckles.

It's important to note that these are not supposed to be believable characters who we either sympathize with or dislike. This is stylized characterization, and Workentin has a clear grasp of that, along with her actors. 

A big part of this production is the battles, most of which take place between Bertie (the real one) and Binky (also the genuine article). From arms-length wrestling matches to gun fights as a couple of cowboys riding horses made of brooms and chases around the furniture, Christopher Elst gets kudos for his fight choreography.

What it all adds up to is night at the theater that is fun, fun and even some more fun.

"Jeeves Takes a Bow" runs through May 3 an information on showtimes and tickets is available here.