A Bunch of Amateurs

Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford – only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard, but a sleepy Suffolk village. Instead of Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench, the cast are a bunch of amateurs, The Stratford Players, trying to save their theatre from developers. Jefferson’s monstrous ego, vanity and insecurity are tested to the limit by the enthusiastic am-dram thespians. As acting worlds collide and Jefferson’s career implodes, he discovers some truths about himself – along with his inner Lear!

Craig Jones, in the lead role of Jefferson Steel, delivered a commanding performance as the washed‑up American actor duped into joining the Stratford Players. His American accent was impressively consistent, and he navigated the character’s bluster with real dexterity. For much of the play he swaggered about with brash self‑importance, yet he shifted seamlessly into a far more sympathetic figure once Jefferson finally admits “defeat” and throws himself wholeheartedly into helping the Players.

Sarah Dillon’s portrayal of Dorothy Nettle, the Player’s director, was a cross between a luvvie and a schoolmistress with commanding authority. It was obvious from the first scene that the rest of the Players had respect for her, and she was striving to save the society.

Laura Ilkiw-Jenkins as Jessica Steel – Jefferson’s daughter, maintained her subtler American accent with ease. Her interactions with Jefferson were certainly that of an “estranged” daughter trying to get her father in step with the real world.

Geoff Russell‑Jones brought delightful theatrical excess to Nigel Newbury, solicitor by day and not very modest thespian by night. His flamboyant, over‑the‑top Shakespearean quotations—delivered with the conviction of a man certain he was born for every role—added many comedic moments.

Valerie King was endearing as Mary Plunkett, who offered Jefferson a room to stay in whilst with the Players. Her awkwardness around her idol and her struggle to meet his demands gave her a gentle, almost invisible presence—reminiscent of Mr. Cellophane from Chicago: always there, rarely noticed, yet willing to help at every turn.

Bill Horsley offered a solid, grounded performance as Dennis Dobbins, the dependable handyman. A “go-to” person for anything that needed fixing whose inventive solutions and quiet reliability anchored many scenes.

Lilita Viksne, as Lauren Bell—the sponsor’s elegant wife—brought poise and style to the stage, with a touch of panache that only faltered (hilariously) during the massage scene with Jefferson.

Additional voice‑overs by Sarah Laing, Tyler Marshall, and Geoff Russell‑Jones, as news reporters, added texture to the world of the play.

Direction by Poppy Dawson and Tyler Marshall kept the production moving at a lively pace. A couple of staging choices raised questions for me —for instance, the two ladies searching for Jefferson in the barn entered and exited stage right, despite Jefferson having exited stage left moments earlier. They would have known he had not exited the way they came in, or they would have seen him, so why did they not go out stage left? And one character “appeared” in full costume to assist with a scene change before being formally introduced in the story.

Lighting and sound were well judged, with the spotlighting of Shakespearean soliloquies adding a welcome dramatic punch. The bare, multi‑level stage was used effectively, and the props generally suited the piece. Nigel’s fish in the “fight” scene felt a little too small to make its full comic impact.

The Shakespearean costumes were vibrant and eye‑catching, while the everyday attire suited each character well. One small distraction was Nigel’s suit, which seemed slightly too tight—his repeated attempts to button the jacket failed. Also, the bottoms of his trousers did not ride easily over the top of his Chelsea boots whenever he rose from a sitting position to standing. This gave him a decidedly lopsided look. A pair of brogues might have served him better.

Overall, this was a well‑executed production, and the entire cast deserves praise for shifting so effortlessly between the cadence of contemporary English, and that of Shakespearean verse, with clarity and confidence

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