LEWISTON — Packed with hilarity and filled with adventure from beginning to happy ending, “Around the World in 80 Days” has it all.

The opening production of The Public Theatre’s 21st season delivers the magic of live stage performance to its audiences with a minimal set and a cast of five actors. It’s the abundance of imagination supplied by director Janet Mitchko and the exceptional talent of those actors that produce an extremely entertaining show.

One other unusual feature of this fast-paced comedy is the welcome sound of delight from children throughout the theater together with nonstop laughter from the audience’s many senior citizens.

Multiple roles played by Dan Matisa and Michael Frederic rate among the funniest performances TPT has presented. Matisa is new to TPT audiences; Frederick has appeared in several roles in TPT’s productions of “A Christmas Carol.”

They dash from character to character with split-second costume changes and never miss a cue in the nonstop odyssey based on Jules Verne’s classic book published in 1873.

“Around the World in 80 Days” is the story of Phileas Fogg, a stiff-lipped Englishman who trusts in precision as his way of life; and his faithful servant, Passepartout, who set out to win a bet that the untested 80-day circumnavigation of the Earth can be accomplished.

Although Fogg tells the London club members that “the unforeseen does not exist,” the adventurers run into just about every imaginable obstacle in their strictly scheduled journey. The endeavor is seriously complicated by a pursuing detective and a rescued princess in India.

Robin Bloodworth, who has appeared in three TPT plays, turns in a fine performance as the upright Englishman. David Mason plays Passepartout with a likable combination of comedy and charm.

Frederic portrays the tenacious Detective Fix, as well as several other characters. The scenes between Matisa and Frederic are reminiscent of TV’s “Carol Brunett Show” when the antics of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman would crack each other up. Even Bloodworth’s imperturbable character of Fogg would break out in a smile once in a while.

Audra Wahhab is introduced to the TPT stage in the role of Aouda, widow of an Indian rajah, who is saved by the travelers from death on the flaming funeral pyre, and ultimately wins Fogg’s heart.

Fogg and his French servant are physical and philosophical opposites. While the perfectly proper Fogg depends on planning, Passepartout is curious, adventurous and impetuous. Those qualities work well together as the trip unfolds.

Once Fogg has wagered his entire personal fortune of 20,000 English pounds, the race is under way. The journey involves many modes of transportation in exotic locations, and the play uses just four chairs, a couple of tables, a chest and a few boxes and some railing to create trains, ships, a sail-powered sled and even an elephant. It’s not long before the audience is watching for each quick on-stage appearance of each ingenious scene.

Several episodes of rail travel would set the characters rocking on chairs, a move of a couple of railings and tables turns the set into ships, and an elephant is created to carry them through the jungles. There’s a typhoon and a hilarious captain with a parrot. There is a gun battle with Indians on the American plains, and there is a Hong Kong opium den that’s nearly the downfall of Passepartout.

The play’s pace is fast and furious, but the plot is simple. The comedy draws many laughs from the children, but there are some sight gags that adults will appreciate, such as a quick tableau of the bow scene in the movie “Titanic.”

The adaptation of “Around the World in 80 Days” is by Mark Brown. It was written about 12 years ago and according to TPT’s study guide by Martin Andrucki, who is professor of theater at Bates College, Brown intentionally left out most stage direction to encourage each director’s originality. Mitchko, who also is TPT’s associate artistic director, does that admirably on all levels of this production.

Remaining shows

WHAT: “Around the World in 80 Days”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 20-21; 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23.

WHERE: The Public Theatre, 31 Maple St., Lewiston

TICKETS: $18 for adults, $5 for children 18 and younger; call 782-3200

MORE INFO: www.thepublictheatre.org

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