Giles Havergal’s four-character stage adaptation of Travels With My Aunt gets a mounting at Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine, March 14-April 2, officially opening March 17. Jean Randich directs this popular stage version of Graham Greene's novel about stuffy, retired Henry Pulling and his adventures with his Aunt Augusta.

Havergal has said the story "is really about the age-old problem of trying to find a balance between freedom and discipline, license and control. Should you allow people freedom to do whatever they want or control them to a degree?... Henry Pulling's eyes are opened to a completely different world than he has ever experienced."

Though the novel offers over two dozen eccentric characters, Travels With My Aunt the play has only four actors playing all of them -- including the female roles. Ron Botting, Phillip Christian, Aled Davis and Spike McCue star in the ME mounting. McCue is only 14 years old -- a casting choice made by the director in the hopes of bringing out “the whole `inner child’ concept,” a production spokesperson told Playbill On Line. The play is usually performed by four adult male actors.

Designing the show are Anita Stewart (set & costumes), Matthew Adelson (lighting) and Tom Faux (sound).

For tickets and information on Travels With My Aunt at Portland Stage Company, 25A Forest Avenue, call (207) 774-0465. Next up at Portland Stage will be Blues For An Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage, starting previews April 11.

-- By David Lefkowitz