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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Absolutely dire glorious fun
Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s
Christmas Carol
Hall Green Little Theatre
**** THIS is the worst amateur production I
have ever seen . . . perhaps with the possible exception of that
performance of Aida in the scouts’ hall with the out of tune piano with
the broken middle C, and the flatulent, incontinent donkey. But then again the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate
Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society do have a reputation, and we’ll
leave it at that,save to say they are really not even good enough to turn
amateur. Cues are missed, lines fluffed, scenery and
props, what little there are, falling well short of third rate and the
acting is . . . let us just say dire could only be seen as a distant
ambition. The whole thing was not even worthy of being
described as abysmal, but it was gloriously funny. David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Jr started
the Farndale series at Edinburgh in 1976 with the ladies’ version of
Macbeth, done, in every sense of the word, by Hall Green almost three
years ago . . . and this latest offering has shown little improvement by
the Guild, if anything they have got worse. Taking a play, wrecking it, getting everything
wrong, actors coming out of character, arguing on stage, storming off in
huffs and creating utter chaos should be easy – but it isn’t. Plays
about plays going wrong have to be done right or Fluffed entrances can’t be fluffed or the joke
doesn’t work, just as jumbled lines or missed cues have to be spot on or
they really are mistakes. The temptation with the likes of Farndale
plays is to go on stage and all mess about and it will be a right laugh
but, despite the content, it is a play like any other, not an improv
session. Forget that and real disaster really does loom.
And director Louise Price, who also played
Scrooge at short notice after a cast member became incapacitated through
injury, along with an experience cast, has kept the show well on track with a
good pace through all the scripted delays and mishaps. Kathryn Fisher as Mrs Reece, who also, as one of
the tallest members of the cast, obviously played Tiny Tim, and Fred’s
wife, and the ghost of Christmas yet to come, and a small child and the
announcer, and (get on with it!) . . . all right . . . has the
difficult job of announcing the show, which, not unusual in Fardale
productions, starts with explaining delays and the guild announcements
in a semi-stand up routine engaging the audience to set up one
unsuspecting soul, erroneously, as a foreigner, who has to have various
points explained throughout the show, and to find a replacement Scrooge
as the real one is stuck in traffic. She manages that task as well as bustling her way
through her various parts. She is assisted in her organiser’s role by
odd-job man Gordon, who makes cantankerous look like charm. Played by
Jon Richardson, curmudgeonly Gordon makes his bad tempered way through
Mrs Cratchitt, ghost of Marley and, with the aid of a supermarket
trolley and Felicity, don’t ask, the ghost of Christmas past. Felicity, played by Rachael Louise Pickard, plays
Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, a snowman, part of the aforementioned
supermarket sweep ghost and other assorted roles as does Mercedes,
played by Christine Bland. Mercedes’ acting abilities are somewhat curtailed
by a severe neck and shoulder injury and limited mobility as a result of
a multi-supermarket trolley pile up. She has the major role of Bob Cratchitt which she
limps and winces through with all the enthusiasm of a turkey at
Christmas. Which leaves us with Scrooge, played by Thelma,
the finest actress of her generation, according to some, a view not
shared by any, sorry, everybody, particularly Mrs Reece.
Thelma in turn is played by director Louise
Price, who plays the role with resigned air of someone who is watching a
train crash – or supermarket trolley pile up - in slow motion and is
unable to do anything about it. Helping out backstage is Gwynneth, played by
Helen Crowe, who knows that when you are on stage you have to smile at
the audience a lot, with perhaps a little wave here and there, even if
you are only holding up scenery. Rather like an iceberg much of shows like this
are unseen and a team of four dressers, Gillian Pickard, Sally Wright,
Sandy Patel and Julie Williams, was needed for the multitude of quick
costume changes while John Millward and Paul Hartop did a good bad job
on sound and lights if you see what I mean. Wrong cues and faulty sound
all need to be done right. The result of the mayhem is a particularly silly
version of A Christmas Carol, including half a sing along, a game of
charades, blankets for the needy – just thought I would mention my knees
were cold when the blanket was unceremoniously taken back – a little bit
of a panto warm up with yes she did no she didn’t, and no doubt there
will be a writ arriving soon from Charles Dickens’ estate. But as we said, it is great fun with moments of
slapstick and peculiarly British humour, that comic celebration of
incompetence and failure, which, paradoxically, requires a great deal of
competence and ability to pull off successfully, which this cast manage
with aplomb. The result is a two-hour smile, even through the
interval, from a most enjoyable festival of daftness. To 22-11-14 Roger Clarke
14-11-14 |
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they will be wrong . . . are you following at the back?