Bazaar and Rummage

Sue Townsends creates humour and pathos in equal measure in many of her plays and it was certainly apparent in this one.  This play first hit the stage 30 years ago, with an all female cast of 6, and although some of the content is a little dated all the issues are still relevant. Set in a rather shabby Church Hall, ex-agoraphobic and volunteer social worker Gwenda, has organised a Rummage Sale, and has enlisted the help of trainee social worker Fliss and three of the members of her self help group for agoraphobics.  The first Act deals with the setting up for the sale and we are introduced to the characters and how they interact with each other.  The second Act is after the sale when we discover that each of the characters has a story to tell which explains why they are as they are, but it ends on a note of hope.

The well-constructed set depicted the rather down at heel Church Hall well with the piano, portrait of the Queen and cross on the wall.  There were double outside doors upstage centre, a serving hatch with kitchen behind stage left, a window, a door leading to the toilets and bunting suspended from the rafters; along with the usual folding tables and chairs.  There were very specific props items detailed in the dialogue and all these had been well sourced, all adding to the feeling of a proper Rummage sale.  The costumes were appropriate and helped to define the characters and their life styles and social standing.  The lighting and sound plots were challenging at times with difficult cueing, and on this opening night there were a few miscues which I am sure would have improved later in the week.

Sue Townsend’s character writing was amazing she presented a seemingly straightforward character and then gently peeled away the layers exposing a totally different one underneath.  The cast presented the characters beautifully and all showed good character development.   Diane Owen as Gwenda, was well portrayed as the forceful organizer of the sale and the ladies in her self-help group, totally in charge, with just a hint of ‘Hyacinth Bucket’.  As the play progresses and the other characters gain more confidence her power is gradually etched away and we realise that she is just as damaged and vulnerable as the others, this was shown well.  Lizzie Abbot-Davies as Felicity (Fliss), was a complete contrast to Gwenda in every way, youth and middle age, denim and man-made bri-nylons, totally opposing political views and different upbringings.  At the start of the play she appeared to be uncaring and in conflict with Gwenda.  When Gwenda accuses her of being unkind and uncharitable, Fliss retorts with ‘I save my charity for those deserving it’.  But gradually she grew in confidence and made us realise that she was going to be more help to the ladies, by steering them by small steps to overcoming their problems and gaining independence, than Gwenda who did everything for them and kept them in their homes.  Jacqui Coventry as Katrina, the ex-singer who is in the complete control of her husband, showed how the cocktail of Librium and Mogadon are effecting her concentration and her life.  Lin Bowden as Bell-Bell gave a lovely performance as the widow with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) cleaning tendencies, and well-timed interjections. Jane Williamson as the WPC did well with a very small role, coming on for the last few pages of the play she was at a disadvantage, as the other actors had built such depth to their characters.  All the cast gave good performances but for me Tracey Ball as Margaret the ‘working class vulgarian’ stood out.  She is a larger than life character who breaks all the bounds of polite society with her bad language.  It was well portrayed with her brash foul-mouthed side contrasting with her very moving descriptions of her rape and the birth of her child.

Chipping Sodbury is near to Bristol and Director Tina Stewart had decided to make Margaret a true Bristolian with attitude, it worked very well.  The play was well directed bringing out all the humour and pathos of the script.  Everyone had brought depth to their character and interacted well with each other.  There were one or two minor blips on this opening night, partly due to having a responsive audience for the first time, who responded in unexpected places.  Congratulations everyone on a real team effort.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.