A Bunch of Amateurs

Anyone who has ever been involved in am-dram will immediately recognise the characters and dilemmas faced by the eclectic mix of personalities that were the Stratford Players.

The play opens with Dorothy Nettle (Alyson Boote) pleading to the audience to support the theatre, which is under threat of closure for redevelopment. From her opening speech, we were swept along on Dorothy’s determination against the odds to get King Lear to performance.  Alyson inhabited this demanding role.  Her delivery of comic lines was well timed, and we sympathised with her frustration when placating her disgruntled star actor, Jefferson Steel. Jez Oldfield was well cast and greatly portrayed the role of Steel, the movie star who believes he has come to play Lear in the birthplace of the Bard only to discover it is Stratford, Suffolk.  Oldfield was a completely convincing characterisation moving from childlike tantrums through gradual acceptance and finally enthusiasm for the project. His American accent, star swagger and timing never slipped.

With some of the best comic lines, Philip Crann gave us an excellent portrayal of the pompous Nigel Dewbury with more pinpoint timing.  We all know someone like him!   Star struck Mary Plunkett (Anne Bateson) was a delight with castanet clicks that punctuated every disapproving word of her rejection, and which will stay with me for a long time. Katie Marie Burton as Jessica Steel captured all the teenage attitude of a disapproving daughter without making her role a caricature. Katie also directed the production and did a fantastic job. Bob Cochrane played the ever-willing Denis and made us laugh with his eye antics whilst Sara Temple played the role of Lauren Bell with great energy and enthusiasm. Bob's driving of his mothers electic wheelchair had the audience in hysterics especially when he appeared to get stuck in the doorway and had to be shoved out by Jez Oldfield. 

The set design worked well with smooth scene changes and clever props and the design was very cleverly thought out with such a small space to work with.

This show bubbled along with a cast that were loyal to their characters and never farcical or contrived. Great casting and for nurturing an utterly convincing company. This was a funny, entertaining, engaging production for which all involved should feel justly proud.

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