An Evening with SPADS

“An Evening with SPADS” never fails to entertain and this year was no exception. The first half comprised of a One Act Play called One Sweet Kiss. The living room of Sophie and Tony was minimal, with occasional colourful furniture, which was well positioned against the black cloth legs, so necessary with what was to follow in the second half. It might have been useful to have some central carpeting on the floor to deaden the sound of clicking heels on the stage but otherwise all worked well. Projection and diction were clear and delivered at a good pace.

The ending, however, I found rather abrupt and did not allow Sophie (Debbie Storten) quite enough time to punch out her final line thus giving the audience a chance to connect all the dots and match the story line with the title of the piece. Perhaps the blackout came a tad too soon, we shall ever know.

Tony (Brian Seal) was well cast and demonstrated good control when losing his temper.

Sophie (Debbie Storten) was realistic in the role and kept us guessing right until the very end.

Sarah (Leri Lee) did well not to over play the scene when she had drunk a little too much. 

Ross (Alan Reilly) did a convincing job of trying to keep peace and keeping his wife under control.

On the whole this four-hander worked well, and I enjoyed the presentation.

In the second half of the evening we were treated to a Variety Showcase directed by Joshua Clark. This was a mixture of song, dance and sketches. “Omigod” from Legally Blonde was a great way to start the proceedings. Harmonies were good and the footwork suited everyone. 

An extract from their next pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, was a perfect way to advertise the winter season and hopefully will prompt the audience to remember to buy their tickets sooner than later. 

The Victoria Wood sketch “Waitress!! (2 Soups) was great fun and Annabel Clarke performed a great piece of characterization. Well done. 

There was a different slant put on “The Ballad of Barry and Freda (Let’s Do It!) another famous Victoria Wood moment with members of the lady’s company performing the song as a group of disenchanted housewives. A clever interpretation and well though out. 

For me the highlight of the evening was the song chosen from the musical “Rent”. “Take Me Or Leave Me” demonstrated warmth of feeling and there was a definite connection and understanding between the performers with no one trying to out shine the other. I liked this very much. 

The evening ended with a rousing company number from the ever-popular film “The Greatest Showman. Another great choice which set the audience clapping in time with the music. 

The whole evening was held together admirably by compare Alan Reilly, complete with old and new jokes, quips and riddles. Thanks Alan, as always, you did a grand job.

I am sure everyone had as enjoyable evening as I did.

Thank you once again for your generous hospitality.

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