Absent Friends

Bolton Little Theatre starts 2024 with Alan Ayckbourn’s Absent Friends performed in the Forge studio to a full audience. One of his more performed plays and the studio setting fitted the intimate conversations that took place. The set is the lounge of Diana and Paul, all set for a tea party. Two-seater settee and chair with small coffee table. With three entrances and exits one leading out into the garden with greenery painted on to the wall, one to the rest of the house and the other the front door. The wall between the two entrances had a strip of 1970’s wallpaper to give us a taste of the décor style. There was a table set with cup and saucers and various sandwiches and cake, covered up ready to serve. A tall unit with high stool and various bottles also graced the stage. Set Building was Jeff Lunt, Jolyon Coombs, Andrew Gradwell and Helen Livesey. Stage Manager James Casterton and Props were Charlotte Carlin and Alison Whittaker. Lighting Design was Peter Gower and operation of Sound and Lighting was James Walton. Costumes all looked fitting and the green eyeshadow was noted on Diana in keeping with the era. Wardrobe Janet Hardman and cast.

Francis Clemmitt directs this domestic comedy showing us a snap shot in real time into the strange friendship that binds them together. Coming together for the uneasy tea party showed us comedy, sadness and pain.

For the opening the audience were in darkness for quite a long time as we listened to Barry White’s You’re The First, The Last, My Everything. As it played out in full, the audience began to talk so I wasn’t sure if intended or something had gone wrong? I also wasn’t sure if it was intended to sound tinny as if coming from a radio.

Rebecca Carney as Evelyn enters with pram and a face on her that she is not happy as baby Walter sorry Wayne is asleep. Her unease is evident at not wanting to be there. I just felt from where I was sat we missed most of Rebecca’s facial expressions because of positioning. Husband John played by John Tyler maybe struck a chord with some women in the audience as the man who ‘mends’ things and actually makes them worse. He just wants to speak business to Paul - you got the feeling he was not really sure why he was there at the party. The scene when they are talking about death: some good facial expressions, John.

Paul is played by Craig Harris and has had a moment with John’s wife Evelyn, least said about that. Evelyn soon puts him in his place. Paul is distracted with work yet doesn’t want to talk about work, he is unaware of his wife’s feelings and that’s the problem. Craig as Paul directed his irritation towards his wife played by Sue Mallett who was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. The opening confrontation with Evleyn didn’t go well and her angst is evident as her suspicion grew about her husband’s infidelity and Sue showed this.  The famous speech about wanting to join the mounted police built up well and I think could have been pushed more at the end to help link with the complete collapse at the end. Sue’s character did show signs of a woman on the edge, the scene confronting Evelyn and phone ringing with Marge was hilarious.

Colin played by Andrew Gradwell is the subject of the gathering, the purpose of which was so they could help him over the sad loss of his partner. How the tables turn - he in fact is very observant if not a little patronising about each person. He checks himself at times when realising he’s gone too far. I liked what he did with the character and the awkward moments he played through.

Last but not least was Lindsay Farnworth playing Marge. I loved her interpretation of Marge - the moments when she goes to speak and doesn’t. Marge looks after people and her husband and the group at some point behave like children and she is the mother calming and soothing. The interaction with the other characters all had a different energy and when talking to her ‘Jumbo’ on the phone we glimpsed the panic and you felt she could never catch a break. Great  performance and a delight to watch.

Thank you for the invite and hospitality from my guest Matthew and I.

 

Liz Hume-Dawson, D5 Rep.

 

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