A Bunch Of Amateurs

On what has been the hottest June on record, you can only feel sympathy for the actors having to perform under stage lights whilst, at times, wearing thick coats and jumpers and, despite the title of the play, TTC delivered their usual high standard.

A Bunch of Amateurs follows fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steel, who hopes to revive his flagging career by playing King Lear in Stratford. On arriving in England, he discovers he is not in Shakespeare’s birthplace but in a quiet Suffolk village, performing with an amateur cast. Jefferson’s oversized ego and underlying self-doubt are soon challenged by spirited local performers who have more than a touch of those qualities themselves. 

The simple set allowed scene changes to flow smoothly, mostly in darkness, without distracting from the action. James Jenkins’ lighting design also helped distinguish the various locations, including the B&B set downstage. Costumes were modern day except for the King Lear excerpt. Perhaps it is simply a sign of the times that mobile phones and iPads are now accepted as modern stage props but they did fit into this storyline.

Andrew Kuipers was thoroughly convincing as the arrogant American and his later transformation as he rebuilt his relationship with his daughter, this was genuinely touching. Caroline Fenton, as director Dorothy Nettle, delivered some wonderfully sarcastic lines and was largely unimpressed by Jefferson the star, while showing genuine warmth towards Jefferson the man. She appeared completely at ease as she tried to balance his demands and the rest of the cast. David Smith’s Nigel Dewbury was very much Jefferson’s amateur counterpart, utterly convinced that he should be playing King Lear and making his feelings unmistakably clear. I liked the ‘sword fight’! Victoria Whitworth brought a delightfully eccentric quality to Mary Plunkett, whose infatuation with the American was paired with excellent comic timing and plenty of laughs especially when she saw Lauren and Jefferson together and misinterpreted  what she was seeing! Louise Ball gave a convincing performance as Lauren Bell,  the wife of the sponsor and physiotherapist. Jon Hinton, as handyman Denis Dobbins, also showed great timing and humour as another devoted admirer of the American. Kate Dellow played Jessica Steel, Jefferson’s daughter, with a clear sense of her character’s hurt, while still revealing the deep affection she felt for her father.

This was a well-directed play by Chris Howland but, as always, well supported by his excellent cast and production team. It is always a pleasure to visit TTC and thankfully it should be cooler next time!

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