1 Act 2 Nights - An Evening of One Act Dramas

As a part of their yearly activities, Water Lane Theatre Company presents an evening of one act plays and improvisation to members and friends, both as a social event and as a platform for those possibly new to directing.  This year, for the first time, the society had decided to open the event to the public, to help broaden awareness of the society and attract new members.

First up was an historical drama "Killing Time" by Sue Niven, presented by the Junior Water Lane Theatre Group and directed by Amber Reeves-Rush.  The play centres around a modern-day family on a visit to an ancient farmhouse in Scotland, who are transported back in time to the 17th century at the time of fierce religious persecution.  The parents and children take on the personae of the Wilson family, whose eldest daughter is eventually convicted and put to death for her beliefs.  Good, strong characterisations, particularly from the junior cast members, with Scottish dialects consistent throughout, though some of the quieter spoken lines were sometimes indistinct.  They also coped well with the last-minute sustitution of one of the cast.  A very thought provoking performance.

In contrast, "Anniversary" by Stephen Scheurer-Smith and directed by Allvus Herring, was more light-hearted, with a 25th Wedding Anniversary celebration disrupted by the arrival of the husband Kevin's uninvited estranged brother Keith.  Quite a few "home truths" are revealed during the play, when it transpires that the estranged brother was Kevin's wife Anne's first love, with Keith accusing Kevin of "stealing" Anne behind his back whilst he was serving in the armed forces.  Their mother is anxious to bring about a truce between the brothers and suggests that Anne and Keith have a fling!  The cast of Doug Sheppard, Amanda Green, John Bell, Joanna Heath and Ellie Sims, gave us a humour-filled performance.

Then it was the chance for the audience to be involved in a "masterclass" or improvisation, conducted and directed by Liam Shiels.  This proved quire challenging for the actors, with some hilarious interpretations!

The final offering of the evening, "Loitering Within Tent" by TLC Creative and directed by John Johnson-Cook, was a chance for some of the female cast from the company's recent excellent production of "Calendar Girl" to "reprise" their roles as WI ladies, this time on a trip to Egypt to experience genuine Bedouin desert life.  Nancy Jones as Hamila, their Bedouin hostess, was delightful in her role as procurer of additional Western ladies for the Sheik's harem, with Lisa Turpcu, Rachel Leung, Pam Johnson-Cook, Nicki Maquire and Carys Sullivan acting the unsuspecting, camel saddle-sore tourists.  An amusing piece to conclude the evening's entertaintment.

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