January 2006 - Region 2 - Keith Painter
TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN
Arnold School
This play takes place in 1880 in a Victorian house and garden and was well worth seeing.
The part of Tom who was looked after by his aunt and uncle.was very well done
I liked the set - so simple but did the job. There were some very good movements in the play and a new batch of up-and-coming youngsters in it.
A good all round play and thanks to everybody.
BUGSY MALONE
Our Lady Star of the Sea Youth Theatre
Thank you to the producers for having a go at this show: a very large
cast but they had full control. This is made more difficult on a small
stage. With a large cast like this everybody did their part well
Fat Sam and Knuckles gave great cameo performances. Blousey and Tallulah
gave us good performance. And as for Bugsy, he gave us an excellent
performance.
A big thanks you to everybody.
THEY'RE PULLING ME DOWN
Schoolhouse
What a very good play this is. It is all about Preston in the '60s; this northern industrial town where the residents have to move out of their houses and be moved out of town away from their friends. A ladies' committee was formed, however, to sort thing out.
All the ladies in this play did a good job and there were some wonderful parts. The postman kept bobbing in and out and giving his advice! In the end they then had to go to the local councillor and put pressure on her to get things sorted out. (We know how good local councillors are at sorting things out!)
Everything ended all right in the end, though.
Thank you.
SOMETHING'S BURNING
Fylde Coast Players
This play is about a lady who wants more men! She has got to the crossroads of her life and is fed up with her husband and wants more out of life.
Nell played by Dawn Martyne did a wonderful job of this part and was well supported by her sister. She falls in love with a local teacher and poet but this ends in frustration and anger. She eventually falls in love with an older man.
A very good play and thank you to all the cast.
CAROUSEL
Preston Musical Comedy Society
A very good opening and a nice set to match. The orchestra was under the full control of the musical director, Jim Thomas.
I liked the singing in the 2nd scene by Carrie, Julie and Billy. The 3rd scene again gave us some wonderful chorus work with good setting and movements with numbers such as, 'June Is Bustin' Out All Over' and 'Blow High, Blow Low.'
The 2nd act set off at the same pace with the end of the 1st scene with a lovely singing of the ladies and Julie of 'What's the Use Of Wonderin'?'
Then, everything seemed to fall apart, going from scene to scene went slower and slower: the front cloth was all-wrong and it looked if it had been a piece added on to it with the result that it was not falling right. But I don't know why the cast had to do the same!
The show did pick up again only in the last scene and of course the singing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' finished the show on a high.
ANGEL'S IN LOVE
St. Mary's A.D.S.
This play was first presented at the Savoy Theatre, London in 1954. It is a play which holds your interest throughout with its twists and turns, first one way then another and all the while, Little Lord Fauntleroy pleasing himself.
It is a Victorian romp with Little Lord Fauntleroy causing his mother great concern: a play in which all the rest of the cast played their parts well, too. A very good play to watch
Thank you.
TAKE AWAY THE LADY
St Bernadette's Players
The action of the play takes place in the living room of the Doubledays' home. The set was nicely decorated and had furniture and props to match. The story revolves around the Doubleday family who have all been summonsed to the family home on the 15th anniversary of their mother's tragic death. Her son who has been in prison, having been blamed for her death, is being released. As the play progresses it is revealed that she was pushed out of the window but by whom? We didn't find out until the very end - and I'm not telling who did it!
The play was well directed by Phillip Higginbottom. It would be unfair to single out any of the cast as they all played their characters excellently. This was a very entertaining evening. Thank you all.
Chess
Thornton Cleveleys Operatic Society
This society made a very good job of presenting the musical Chess. The set was simple but effective and made good use of stairways and walkways.
The show takes us to the world chess championship between the Americans and the Russians. The president of the championship does his best to keep control but the antagonism between the players, their teams and their lovers spills over into the game and throws the contest into disarray.
The two lady delegates from each team played their parts excellently and sang beautifully especially 'I Know Him So Well'. The two players and their delegates all kept in character. Andy Bentley as the Arbiter did a wonderful job of controlling both the game and the players. His recent experience in plays has helped his acting no end.
The show was directed by Doreen Astin, choreographed by Kathryn Mather and musical director Chris Andrews just about kept the orchestra at the right volume.
Thank you everyone.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Preston Drama Club
First of all I must congratulate whoever designed and built the bed in a cabinet - what a good idea and what a lot of use it got in this French romp. The set was, again, simple but effective. The servants moved the furniture and props so the action could continue undisturbed. The costumes were of the period but I think some of the ladies were struggling with their crinolines.
The story follows two French aristocrats as they set out to seduce a young girl. I think I lost track of exactly how many were seduced but it seemed an awful lot! Needless to say, the two men played their parts with enthusiasm. This was an interesting play which was well acted and directed.
THE SORCERER
Marton Operatic Society
Production director: John Shedwick
Musical Director: Tim Dagger
This was a good all-round production with nice costumes and a simple set. It is also a very good singing show. The chorus were great with both singing and movement.
All the principles were seasoned actors, and you could tell. All the ladies sang very well. The leading lady was great, and all the men worked very hard. As for John Wellington Wells, it was just his part.
A big thank you to everybody.
LOVE'S A LUXURY
St Mary's Amateur Dramatic Society
A Farcical Comedy by Guy Paxton & Edward V Hoile - Directed by Julie Harrison
May I thank St Mary's Amateur Dramatic Society, yet again, for inviting me to watch their production Love's a Luxury, and I am not to be disappointed like last year. Congratulations to David Bird on the construction and well-built set of Cranberry Cottage and excellently directed by Julie Harrison.
The play is set round the lounge in Cranberry Cottage and this was the right pace for farcical comedy. The play opened with Charles Pentwick, excellently played by David Bird, and excellently supported by Graham Blackhurst as Bobby Bentley: these two were the central characters in the plot.
Charles Pentwick arrives at his West Country Cottage in a state of great agitation. His jealous wife has abruptly left after hearing rumours about his alleged (and unfounded) infidelity, leaving him to seek shelter with his friend, actor Bobby Bentley, who's joined him in his rural retreat.
We were then introduced to Molly, the maid, played by Jean Southworth who portrayed her character very well, as well as Mr Mole, played by Philip McLaughlin, the noisy camper on Cranberry Cottage's back lawn. As Charles' son Dick, the stage debut of Mark Forsythe, we again had a well rounded characterisation. Susan Spencer playing Fritzy Villiers, Charles' wife and Molly's mum played by Christine Steele and Barbara Brown were also very well acted.
The highlights were David's and Graham's interrogation of Mr Mole, and Graham in drag pretending to be Molly's mum. A very entertaining evening.
Frivolous, funny and deceptively charming, this is farce at its best. An excellent production and thanks once again to St Mary's for their hospitality.
(Matt Castle)
FALLEN ANGELS
Poulton Drama
This very light and frothy play by Noel Coward centred around Julia (Holly Liggins) and Jane (Joanna Stephenson) who are friends of many years. Their husband, Fred (Michael Buckley) and Willy (Geoff Porter) leave for a weekend's golf. At this point the wives get together at Julia's residence and Jane informs her that Maurice (Paul Bradley), a paramour of both ladies from their distant past, is about to arrive in London and pay them a visit. They hatch a plan to deal with the situation but as the meal progresses, so the drink begins to take over and they get more and more tipsy. The occasion is not helped by the maid, Saunders (Linda Hunter) who has an opinion on all things and is not backward in sharing it with the ladies. Maurice does eventually appear in Act 3. the husbands return from the golf weekend and all is resolved.
All the characters performed excellently, but just a word about Holly Liggins who took the lead at just a few week's notice due to unforeseen circumstances - she was superb. Stage set and costumes for Poulton Drama were of their normal high standard.
(Ken Robinson)
THE PASSING OUT PARADE
Preston Drama
This was my first visit to this group and the first thing was how impressed I was by the lovely small theatre, Preston Playhouse where the group performs.
The play by Anne Valery is an all female cast of nine and is set in the early 1940s at the commencement of World War II. Eight ladies join the A.T.S. and immediately come face-to-face with Sgt. Major Pickering (Janet Dawson) whose job it is to knock the recruits into some sort of order. Their six week training period reveals all kind of relationship problems, comic, tragic and dramatic to their eventual passing out.
All the performers worked well revealing their various backgrounds.
Unfortunately, the play seemed to move from reveille to lights-out in an erratic way and led to numerous blackouts which took away any rhythm the piece might have had. It was an interesting evening, nonetheless.
(Ken Robinson)
MY FAIR LADY
Lytham Operatic Society
Following Jesus Christ Superstar, this was another high-octane triumph for director, Lynda Clarkson and her production team, Peter Weston (musical director) and Sue Mather (choreographer).
From the opening bars of the Overture to the final. "Where are my slippers?" it was first class. Henry Higgins (Martin Cope), Colonel Pickering (Peter Hall), Alfred P. Doolittle (Andy Crawford-Lane) and Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Ken Carter), all turned in high quality performances. But the pièce-de-résistance came from Lisa Kerr in the role of Eliza; she was just exquisite.
In recent Lytham productions it seems to be becoming the norm for a mini master class in some supporting role from one of the experienced members. In this case it was Una Bird (Mrs Higgins). Her timing and delivery of her one-line put-downs of her son and Colonel Pickering, and her expressions - all were priceless!
One other of an unending procession of highlights was the 'Ascot Scene' which was set in all shades of purple and lilac, in place of the traditional black and white. It looked, and worked superbly well.
The show played to full houses nearly every performance - and deservedly so.
Congratulations to everyone.
(Ken Robinson)
MAKE WAY FOR LUCIA
Windmill Players
This John van Druten play was new to me and I found it to be most entertaining.
The story mainly revolves around the two principal characters, Miss Mapp (Betty Horrocks) and Mrs Emmeline (Lucia) Lucas (Denise Flynn). Both roles were superbly played.
Miss Mapp has sold her house to Lucia but is reluctant to accept that the property has a new owner and she still feels free to come and go as she pleases. Lucia took exception to this and decided she was having some changes - a garden party and musical evening plus advice from local luminaries, Major Flint (Alan Waterfield), George Pilson (Alan Dickinson) and Godiva Plaiston (Maureen McCrea). Eventually all ended well.
Other supporting roles were played by Clive Byrd, Kath Murthwaite, Cathie Welsh, Cliff Roberts, Janet Bracewell and David Priestly.
Set in the 1920s, the stage set was first class as were the costumes. It was "business as usual" with the high standard maintained.
(Ken Robinson)