Alarms and Excursions

This was not one of Michael Frayn’s better scripts but the members of FADS did their best to bring out the comedy.  It is a series of 7 playlets showing many of the problems of modern technology in this day and age. The stage set was very versatile for all the various events depicted during the evening, the costumes were good and the lighting outstanding.

DOUBLES.  Colin, Karen, David and Alicia had great fun with this opening production of the evening which was set in two bedrooms with the beds back to back against the adjoining wall in a rather seedy hotel.  This was a long playlet and exceedingly amusing.  The timing of both the exits and entrances and the dialogue was excellent.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole piece.

HEART TO HEART.  Many people will know the comedy caused when two elderly deaf people hold a conversation.  This group of three had some lovely lines but perhaps delivered them a bit fast so the audience failed to pick up on some of them.

LOOK AWAY NOW.  Set at the beginning of a flight this delightful piece caused much amusement. The voice of the stewardess (from off stage) was very clear and the reactions of the nervous young man were great.  He was proof that you don’t actually need to speak to get your message across.

TOASTERS.  Again the speaker was off stage but the three performers did an excellent job of applauding at the right time whilst drinking toasts, refilling their glasses, and finding the correct pages in their pile of notes. Their facial expressions said it all!

 GLASSNOST.  I thought Carol Clark made the most of a very silly piece of theatre. Well done.

ALARMS AND LEAVINGS.  These pieces were far too long. They gave Matt. Stella, Harry and Sarah a chance to show off their acting skills well but the constant and various sound effects in the first half soon began to get on ones nerves and the second half dragged a bit. All in all FADS made the most of, what I consider to be a rather poor script. I look forward to their next production which sounds great fun and very watchable.

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