New Buckenham Players Reviews
Babes in the Wood
December 2008
When the curtain went up on Saturday evening last in New
Buckenham Village Hall, and following Joyce’s appropriate but self
deprecating welcome introduction, we seriously wondered if we had
not arrived at Norwich Theatre Royal by mistake. The opening set–
with the villagers all milling around - was stunning.
The story told of the threat to the lives of the Royal babes
(gorgeous Kimberly Stevens and Jake Matsell) by the evil Prince John
(Dave Dowson) and his child hating, even more evil Queen Arachnid
(Bella Chirodian) and their guards Jasper and Ashley Stevenson. They
were far from ably abetted by the tax money grabbing Sheriff (Tom
Nash or was it Russell Brand on speed!) and his dim-witted side kick
Pokem (the normally very sharp Susie Jowett). But it slowly unfolded
with plenty of panto ‘he’s behind you’ and ‘oh yes he is, oh no he’s
not’ etc. asides.
The baddies solicited the ‘help’ of two fearsome idiots Bashem
(Barry Jones – where did you get that hairpiece!) and Thumpem
(lovely Annie Cattermole) who were as useless as a pair of chocolate
teapots. With them as potential assassins the kids had no serious
threat to their lives – and anyway there was Roger Turner playing
the village idiot Roger Turner, alias Hayrick, with a heart of gold
, Robin Hood (the delicious Casey Drabble), and his band of men (?)
Little John (John Thomas), Friar Tuck (Brett Drabble – yes, there is
a relationship!), Will Scarlett (Sally Elvin who makes a beautiful
boy), Alan-A-Dale (Cathy Marshall another too lovely ?man) and of
course Robin’s ‘bit on the side’, Lady Marion (who else than that
rapidly maturing professional thespian, Lily Highton) all there to
protect them. Then there were Tyson the most lovable dog ever seen
on stage and portrayed brilliantly by Bethan Phillips and her/his
‘mistress’ Nursie, Could she/he have been anyone other than Geoff
Gildersleeve with the help of make up, bra and exotic costumes – not
that he needed them! They too helped (well sort of) to prevent any
evil deeds befalling the babes. All the tension was eased by the
enchanting dancing of Harriet and Georgina Hunwicks-Rush and Leanne
Corley, and the melodious singing of the cast accompanied by Barry
Jones (Really? Yes!) Eventually all was restored to sanity by the
arrival of the lordly and sane King Richard (Tony Lister) just back
in time from a crusade.
The action took place on the village green, in the schoolroom and of
course, the forest. These were magnificently and professionally
created by Hazel Rush, Adrian Lincoln and Pete Wilds, and the back
stage crew under Gill Goodwin and enhanced by the lighting (Tom
Hilton) and sound effects (James Wilshaw).The colourful costumes
were produced by Carolyn Hupton and Gerry Walsh and Gerry with Meryl
Anderson, Maddie Anderson and Judy Beckett were responsible for the
marvellous, sometimes terrifying makeup.
This great fun panto was expertly directed by Darren Rush, ably
assisted by Dave Dowson and Kerry Dugan. How they managed this on
such a small budget we shall never know. Our congratulations and
thanks to everyone involved for producing such a delightful
evening’s entertainment.
The Kens
The Importance of Being Earnest
June 2008
Wilde’s
satirical comedy, written more than 100 years ago, is so well known
that many theatre goers experience a degree of trepidation before
seeing a new production. The delivery of the familiar lines is all
important, as the story is trivial and there are no stagey effects
on which to rely. The play has no big jokes, just a stream of
sublime one-liners that should keep its audience smiling and
chuckling all the way through. The Players’ production did not
disappoint us.
To have such
a young cast in the leading roles was entirely appropriate. In
their lovely outfits Cecily’s (Tyler Greener) silliness balanced
Gwendolen’s (Jacqueline Du’Ven) assuredness in their joint
desperation to maintain their lifestyle by marrying into fortunes.
Moncrieff (James Phillips) was an elegant sybarite who skilfully
managed to relax in a chair and eat scones while delivering his
lines clearly. John Harrod who joined the cast at relatively short
notice to play Worthing ably partnered him. His mourning
handkerchief was a lovely period detail.
It’s a
particular challenge for an actress to play Lady Bracknell and avoid
the long shadow cast by illustrious predecessors. Bella Chirodian
took the role full-on. A splendid plumed hat marked her first
entrance and she was suddenly a younger, physical and no less
formidable Lady Bracknell. I was pleased that she made some of her
asides straight to the audience, but it wasn’t over done.
The strong
support cast included Miss Prism (Meryl Cooper) who heaved with
repressed passion in the presence of Rev Chasuble (Tom Nash) whose
celibacy looked nearly at an end. David Dowson was a suitably
subservient man servant and the maid (Bethan Phillips) deftly
handled the tea tray.
The diction
required for a play set in Victorian society lapsed occasionally and
young ladies would not have held their tea cup with both hands. But
these are minor quibbles. The cast appeared confident with their
lines and after a single lapse Gwendolen thanked her prompt with
amusing extravagance. Caroline Wood’s direction maintained the
play’s essential pace and period setting. She and her production
team should be pleased with their results. The sets complemented
the spoken words and the gorgeous costumes.
This was a
most enjoyable production that almost immediately showed itself to
be in safe hands. The youngsters playing the leading roles showed
their skills and will develop further with experience. Yes, it’s a
pity they may be lost to our community when they go on to higher
education, but their performances reinforce the benefit of
attracting young talent to the Players’ productions. Their fresh
altruistic contribution is essential to a thriving Players company.
Charles Oxley