A Small Mind At The Theatre

During the interval of The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband , last weeks production at The Playhouse Theatre Northampton, I got involved in a conversation between a couple sitting next to me. The lady was very much of the opinion that the play was a comedy, while the gentleman, had formed one that it was a tragedy. They were joking of course in the conversation, but it did highlight the differences that Debbie Isitt's dark comedy might have between the sexes. And also now perhaps the passing of time. When this was written in the nineties, Isitt's play was a forthright feminist play, heralding the championing over of the ladies over the man. One the ex-wife plotting to cook him, the other, the new lover, potentially already very tired of him after just three years. The husband, Kenneth (Jem Clack) elopes initially in pursuit of sex with Laura (Diane Wyman), after his nineteen years of marriage with Hilary (Corinna Leeder) has become tired and passionless. Then later, he elopes ...

A works team building away trip could happily paint seven shades of absolute hell on many peoples minds and that is if it goes well. For Neville though and his trio of companions, well doesn't ever come into it in Tim Firth's comedy drama. Tim Firth is best known for Calendar Girls and it's next musical incarnation currently playing in London, The Girls . However with Neville's Island , things while remaining comic at times, stray into some very dark territories, and that doesn't mean the brooding trees and bushes of the island they find themselves trapped on. The themes here on display range from attacks on religion and to mental illness issues. Not, you would think ideal for a comedy, hence this is a little more drama as well. It works, most of the time. I am sure that on occasion though, some could be uneasy about Gordon's diatribes about Roy's issues and faith, indeed the latter, some would probably find quite offensive. The first thing you are stru...

There is perhaps a certain inevitability that the amateurs of Northampton will provide a better play this year than Sextet , currently running at The Playhouse Theatre. However having said that, there might not be many on the stage that are as ambitiously optimistic of the skills of those local actors performing in it. There is much to trouble an actor here, with Michael Pertwee's piece (very much of its seventies period) challenging timing, prat falls, prop management and a navigation of a complex set (especially so on the small Playhouse stage). April Pardoe (Valerie), Simon Rye (Philip), Jem Clack (Denys) and Barry Dougall (Roger) The play itself as always with a character driven play, takes a while to get going. One by one we are introduced to the motley crew made up of family, business links and random people bumped into. Our six characters (yes, there is a clue in the title), are the Captain of the yacht, Roger (Barry Dougall), his (ex/current) wife Lisa (Tamsyn Payne), ...

There is a tradition at the start of some meetings that a member of a committee has to declare an interest in something being discussed. Therefore it is appropriate that at this time, I declare that as the relatively newly installed publicity committee member at The Playhouse Theatre, I am about to review a play that it has been my responsibility to promote. So how is that for conflict of interest? However to be fair, the amateur world has become an increasingly delicate place for me to work with reviewing as I have got to know more and more of those involved, and they have all learnt who I am. My reviews though are not here for me to make friends, as some recent offerings have shown, so if there was something up, rest assured that I would happily state so. Fortunately director Jem Clack has on this occasion gave me little of concern, as with his large cast of nine, he has produced a nicely polished production. I had the opportunity on Sunday to see the final dress rehearsal for th...

As has often been the case I arrived totally cold as to what I was going to see and experience from The Playhouse's production of The Sunshine Boys. The writer Neil Simon was unknown to me (research today has told me that he wrote classics The Odd Couple and Barefoot In The Park, and it is true, shockingly, that I have seen neither), therefore what I was going to get either way was a surprise. All I really knew was that is was a comedy. How sharp, witty and caustically funny is was to be was a remarkable surprise. It was also great news to discover that one of my favourites of the Playhouse regulars, Graham Follett, was the main star. In all the shows I have seen, I have admired his generally soft and gentle approach to the roles. It was however a huge pleasure to see him playing against that type I have previously seen in the role of Willie Clark, a opinionated, miserable and often downright rude ex-vaudeville star, one half of a long dissolved double act. He is immediately perf...

I am beginning to enjoy many of the amateur productions that Northampton offers as much as many of the professional ones. Some would say that this should be at odds with common sense because they have neither the budget, the time or the skilled actors (shall stop your right there buster). This is amateur dramatics darling, that is what it is all about. I have taken a liking a little more to these amateur ones perhaps because the performers seem more human to my unskilled eye. They occasionally fluff their lines, much like I forget to buy the milk. They didn't last night though at the rather quaint Playhouse Theatre. Maybe a hesitation or two, but certainly nothing involving cries from behind stage. The stage in question was, to quote the programme "the drawing room of the Seigneurie of Sark" and rather lovely it was as well. A typical am-dram set, not complicated and very functional. The play that took place upon it was The Dame Of Sark by William Douglas Home (brothe...

The Mystery Of Irma Vep was my first encounter with The Playhouse Theatre Northampton amateur group after missing their previous performances this year due to a clash with other happenings. It was also my first encounter with writer Charles Ludlum and I have to say that came as quite a surprise as well. Much like a Carry On film it was all silly antics and double entendres. As would be expected for an amateur production the set was simple yet effective within budget constraints. There were rickety doors and troublesome gun racks, but it all added to the general frivolity of the play. The story is slight and pretty unimportant from Ludlum but the antics were keenly played by the cast of six (four main stars and two added delights). Further research of the play has led me to understand that the play is traditionally played by two gentlemen via quick changing with the men playing both male and female roles. The Playhouse has dispersed with this, but nothing appeared to be lost in this e...