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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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Hard working cast deserve better Bums on Seats Stage 27 Old Rep *** Silk purses and sow's
ears are what spring to mind. A talented company has somehow landed
itself with a laborious, unfunny, would-be comedy that is set in a tatty
provincial theatre – and with the best will in the world it cannot hide
the fact. Author Michael Snelgrove has armed himself with a chorus of three resting actresses who are temporary usherettes. One of them, Wendy, played with a pleasing, down-to-earth ordinariness by Kay Chamroo, has her feet firmly on the ground. The other two are over-emphasised,
pain-in-the-proverbial luvvies, bravely and flouncingly tackled in
unison by Louise Snape and Svanhild Aldal with exaggerated gestures and
a tendency to say “Bless”, but a little of this sort of thing goes a
long way – and there's a lot of it. Similarly, Frank Kyne is in complete charge of his
responsibilities as the self-regarding actor Benedict Thrush, but he has
been presented with far too much time in which to talk about himself and
his philosophies. And there are many other sound contributions: from
Patrick Ryan, for example, as the playwright responsible for Fecund, the
play that is on tour with a title that has unfortunately provided
Michael Snelgrove with a succession of opportunities to reveal that
nobody knows what it means.
There are spirited accounts from Maureen George, as
Mo, the plain-talking stage manager; from Rebecca Kear, in fine
declamatory form; and from Darren Summerill and Frank Kyne – again – as
two councillors. They are to be observed rolling in the aisles. Not
because there's much to laugh at but because they are having a fight. And so it goes on: Gareth Lloyd, Sam Devlin and Angela
Smythe pitch in nobly and with considerable credit, but it's not so much
a lost cause as one that isn't worth finding. There is, however, one role that is delivered as an utter delight, which rises triumphantly above an uninspiring script. Laura Ashfield is Estelle, the theatre's new marketing assistant, and she is full of understated gestures and expressions that ensure that there is, after all, humour to be found in spite of everything. She watches with charming haplessness a demonstration
of how to make marketing into a theatrical exercise that will go down
well with the tourists, but she comes splendidly into her own when it is
time to analyse Roland Luckett, the man who wrote Fecund.
She stands out as the reason why Stage 27, a small company of excellent talent, should not have expended its commendable efforts on a piece of theatre which, as far as I have been able to ascertain, has failed to become a popular production since it was published in 1997. Its indefatigable members must ensure that anything
they do in future is worthy of their efforts – even more so, as the
paying public managed to buy only about 30 tickets on the opening night.
Bums on seats? Almost too few to notice, and it's a shame. A small group's hard work deserved a far better response as well as immeasurably better material. To 3.7.10. John Slim |
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