Being of Sound Mind

First of all, let me welcome Stockton Foresters to NODA. This was my first visit as a Rep since the Society joined last month. The society are far from new, having entertained audiences in Stockton on the Forest since the 1940s.

It was a cold and foggy night when we visited the Foresters, which was highly appropriate for this ghostly thriller set on….a cold and foggy night. Being of Sound Mind, written by Andrew Hull, is a chilling whodunit set in an old house as the family gather for the reading of a will. They all have their reasons to be there, be it an inheritance or answers from the past. But, to get a single penny, they must first survive a night in the house. What could possibly go wrong?

It is very difficult to get this genre of play believable – it needs a combination of a talented cast, good direction and, vitally, high quality lighting and sound. Stockton Foresters, for such a small society, are fortunate to have all three. What a thrilling production that had the capacity audience on the edge of their seats through to the final curtain.

This was very much an ensemble production, with strong performances from each member of the cast.  Diction and projection were spot on from every member of the cast. 

As the family gather, the details of the will are provided by the deceased’s solicitor, Jane Brunt, played with suitable severity, by Nicky Wild. But, is she all that she seems?

The back story of the deceased’s late wife is told by Penelope Asquith, beautifully played by Jasmine Lidgard. Jasmine had some lengthy dialogue to tell the story but her stage presence and sense of timing made it a pleasure to listen to. She held the audience’s attention throughout. Lighter moments were provided by Stephen Asquith, played by Pete Keen. His comic timing after his “death” was glorious and one of his entrances made the entire audience gasp with shock. Rebecca Lockhart, played by Lynne Edwards, simply wanted to know the truth about her sister’s death. This was a very sincere and emotional performance from Lynne, played with such sincerity. The final member of the family, who didn’t really know why he was there was Martin Bodmin, played by Stuart Leeming. Another first class performance …. But, those trousers?

The final members of the cast were the members of the household, Marshall (Martin Thorpe) and Shaun (Russell Dowson). They were both suitably pompous, as they should be, adding to the tension of the play.

To get this sort of play right, the lighting and sound effects have to be timely, appropriate and well executed. Nick  Bentley and Ollie Nash certainly achieved all of that – absolutely perfect for the play. (And thanks for the taxi number). The same could be said about the costumes, courtesy of Catherine Boyle-Whitelegg.

The set was well designed (Louisa Littler & Hilary Rowan) and constructed with its many hidden features – loved the moving portrait. And where did the “ghost” come from? Props were all suitable for the setting of the play. Many congratulations to the Stage Managers(Sheila Robson & Nicola Dowson) for bringing all this together.

Finally, the Director (Louisa Littler) and Producer (Karen Ilsley) should be extremely proud of their production. With the help of a strong and supportive team on and off stage you created a wonderful evening’s entertainment. Thank you.

It was a pleasure to visit you for the first time and I look forward to many more visits in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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