As an avid theatregoer, I particularly like to watch plays I've not seen before and also to visit venues I've not been to. Both of these aspects were true in this case. The theatre, tucked away near Gatley Golf course, down a narrow track, is certainly a little gem with a nice bar, friendly and helpful volunteers and a good choice of ice cream flavours! The stage is a good size and as an audience member, you are quite close to the action and that is something I'm always in favour of.
When the curtains were opened, it was clear that the action would take place in a 1970's style hotel (although the play was written in the late '80s), an establishment based in an anonymous and run-down seaside location which has definitely seen better days! An old fashioned mailbox style structure (one pigeon hole for each room) hangs on the wall with a reception desk that had a switchboard phone and a bell on it. The stage is split between the foyer area and a raised platform which housed a lounge where some of the scenes were played out. Mismatched furniture and a ramshackled appearance is probably a fair description of this well designed set.
The first person we see is Harold, the night porter (Nick Tyler, who gave an assured and likeable portrayal) – he muses and informs us that he has been there for 25 years and is always being given cheese sandwiches to eat by his unseen wife. Harold knows everything that goes on in the hotel and regularly pockets the payment for drinks as 'tips', making the excuse that the computer isn't working and so he can't put the money through the system!
There are a ragbag of guests – MP Ronald Mason (Ewan Henderson) and his downtrodden wife, Vivien (Gaelle Roques); alcoholic, down on his luck ventriloquist “Lips Lanighan” (Charlie Cook) and his partner Woody (a doll); Sir Earnest Robinson (David Carney) and his two adult sons Andy and Don (Josh Besso and Isaac Beattie) and finally, 3 saleswomen – Lindsey Botting, Paulette O'Callaghan and Maureen Williams (Helen Tyler, Scarlett Dean and Ella Norman). For me, the strongest acting performances were delivered by Nick Tyler and David Carney.
I would describe this play, written by Mike Harding, as a gentle but somewhat dated British farce with caricatured characters that many in the audience enjoyed watching, with guffaws coming from quite a few people who were in attendance. The 2 sons strongly reminded me of the sycophantic young men from 'The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin'.
I'm not going to say much about the plot itself but the farcical elements progressively kicked in as the evening wore on. During the second act, we were introduced to smartly dressed news presenter Stephanie Hall (Chris Hall) and her crew. Ms Hall was presumably modelled on someone like Jan Leeming and attempted to host a live broadcast with predictably disastrous outcomes.
Personally, I didn't like the play much as I found the script flimsy and rather contrived, very much of its era, but having said that, the cast have clearly worked very hard with the material; they kept up the pace throughout the entire performance, which is commendable, especially for a first night.
There were a couple of technical difficulties – most notably, the pre-recorded voice of the ventriloquist's dummy was at times impossible to make out, along with a blocking issue on the cramped raised platform. Perhaps also a couple of the actors could improve their projection a liitle more too.
Thanks to the staff and volunteers at the theatre for their help, welcome and hospitality. It's a quaint and interesting venue and refreshments are at very affordable prices. This production runs every evening (starting at 7:30pm) until October the 5th
Reviewer - David Swift
on - 1/10/19
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