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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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Helen Tippins as Beverley, Katherine Jones as
Angela, Sarah Colloby as Sue, Tony Childs as Laurance and John Lines as
Tony Abigail’s Party
Swan Theatre Amateur Company
Swan Theatre, Worcester
***** MIKE Leigh’s dark comedy dissecting the
social mores and aspirations of 1970’s London suburbia still strikes a
chord of recognition with audiences. We can all identify the characters or at least
some of their traits in individuals we know – we are dealing with real
people here, and STAC has found an excellent cast to make this party go
with a real swing. The plot is simple, Angela and Tony, played by
Katherine Jones and John Lines, have just moved in to 16 Richmond Road,
so Beverley, at No 13, has invited them round for a friendly meet the
neighbours with her estate-agent husband Laurence and has also invited
Sue, a divorcee from No 9. Sue, played by Sarah Colloby, was divorced three
years ago - about the same time the other two couples were getting
married as was kindly pointed out to her. Her daughter, Abigail, aged
15, is having a party, which can be heard down the street and which
would be fine until Beverley and Ange point out as many worst-case
scenarios as they can think of. Helen Tippins gives a stellar performance as
chain-smoking Beverley, ex-department store beauty saleswoman, who is
the dominant force in any party; flighty and blousy, sexy in an in your
face sort of way - ask Tony -and she seems to see marriage as merely a
required qualification for adultery as she flirts unashamedly and openly
with Tony as the evening progresses. She is used to getting her own way on everything
and mana
Tony has entered into the spirit of the evening
with all the enthusiasm of the guest of honour at a funeral. He could
not make it clearer that he really does not want to be there. He is an
ex-footballer and is now in computers – but only a mere computer
operator as wife Ange insists on telling everyone. Katherine Jones Ange
is a brilliant foil for Tippins Beverley incidentally as their
characters slowly demolish the gin bottle. Ange is a nurse, and shows she is competent and
professional in that when it matters. It is just in the rest of her life
where she struggles as a somewhat tactless and none-to-bright, gormless
individual who revels in the mundane and trivial. Laurence is an estate agent aspiring to finer
things with Van Gogh and Lowry prints on the wall, gold embossed volumes
of the complete works of Dickens and a leather-bound complete works of
Shakespeare – which he tells us “can’t be read” indicating it is the
signs of culture rather than culture itself which is important. He
arrives home as Beverley’s soiree is about to start needing to go out
again for work and you suspect his passion for work is compensation for
a bickering marriage where passion is in short supply. Unlike Beverley he likes art, classical music and
literature, although she claims her tastes are just as good as his, and
the pair seem to live permanently on the verge of argument which becomes
open warfare as the evening wears on. But theirs is not the only skirmish as the quiet
Tony lashes out at Ange and even Sue, who to this point has seemed the
normal one, the bastion of sensible middle class respectability, finally
snaps at Abigail and her party. Tony Childs has not only taken on the role of
Laurence but has also directed, assisted by Keith Thompson and Janet
Bright and between them they have built up the slowly rising tension
between all the laughs as we see the real relationships begin to surface
from beneath the middle class veneer. Designer Rog Melhuish, utilising a fine set hired
from Peterborough Operatic and Dramatic Society, also deserves some
credit for the lovely 70’s touches such as the twin cassette music
centre (younger readers ask parents or grandparents what a cassette
was), fibre optic lamp, and that height of 70’s party sophistication,
the cheese and pineapple hedgehog, with skewered delicacies on
toothpicks stuck into a half grapefruit. Those with real class and style
added a silverskin onion as well. And amid that culinary treat you are also given a
recipe for pilchard curry – which Tony, strange as it may see, doesn’t
like along with music from the likes of Demis Roussos, Elvis and
Beethoven in a battle of the bands. With such a splendid, professional quality
production, it is a pity more people were not there to see it. Catch it
before it ends on Saturday, 31, October. Roger Clarke
27-10-15 |
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ges
to manipulate everyone into agreeing with her – often against husband
Laurence – and won’t take no for an answer which means Sue has many more
gin and tonics than she wanted, with the predictable result, and Ange
and Tony, who have given up smoking are back on the fags by mid evening.