A Bunch of Amateurs

My visit to the Priory Theatre brought back many happy memories as both actor and director. It was a joy to see a full auditorium of expectant audience members on this, the Company’s first play of their 2019/20 season.

This comparatively recently written comedy by Ian Hislop (editor of Private Eye and Team Captain - Have I Got News For You) and Nick Newman, originally for a film in 2008 starring Burt Reynolds, Derek Jacobi and Imelda Staunton, was adapted later for the stage. In their programme comments, the directors state “For anyone who has ever trod the boards or inhabited the world of amateur dramatics, we are sure you will recognise some of the characters”, and we did !.

The story revolves around the lives of the Stratford Players and their quest to revive their dramatic society by inviting a Hollywood Actor to become one of their number and play the starring role in their production of Shakespeare’s King Lear. Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero, Jefferson Steele – excellently portrayed by Ian Cairns, arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford - only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard himself, but a sleepy Suffolk village; and the cast are a bunch of amateurs. Jefferson’s monstrous ego, vanity and insecurity are tested by the over enthusiastic amateur thespians - who are not averse to a spot of ego, vanity and insecurity themselves. As acting worlds collide and Jefferson’s career implodes, he discovers some truths about himself and his relationships with other people….. along with his inner Lear !.

Ian is almost never off stage and is ably supported by the other excellent and convincing members of the cast – Corinne Philpott as Dorothy Nettle; the indomitable director – Dave Cooper as Nigel Dewberry; a tad jealous because he wanted to play the King – Christine Coaster as Mary Plunkett; caring landlady of the local B&B and interested in anyone in trousers! – Alex Swan as Denis Dobbins; a local farmworker and innovative handyman/health and safety officer – Sharon Cummings as Lauren Bell; attractive wife of the play’s sponsor – and newcomer to the Priory - Erin Hattrick as Jessica Steele; Jefferson’s daughter and Shakespeare aficionado.

This was a hugely successful production which must have been difficult to direct, but the effective fixed set of the barn interior – doubling as their theatre - complimented by flown-in flats coped well with the many scenes. Good lighting effects also aided the various and multiple scenarios, and the period costumes for the Lear sequence were a nice complement at the finale of the piece.

This Company is notably well established, and this production maintained their highly respected standing in the Theatre Community. An excellent production full of guffaws and belly laughs was just what any audience could do with to take their minds off other things, and they showed their appreciation with their rousing applause…. Thanks and congratulations to all concerned.

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