Bold Girls

This was a play that was very different, very poignant and needed a brave company to perform it, leaving the audience with something to really think about. Just four women in this play, characters performed with distinction. Joyce Pomeroy who played "Nora" really got her teeth into the role, sometimes sad and angry but always ready to chivvy the younger women with affectionate exasperation, especially her daughter "Cassie" alias Fin O’Leary. Cassie had a wonderful and authentic accent and gave a great performance as the frustrated daughter, wife and mother, just longing to get away from the miserable drudgery of keeping life together during the Belfast "Troubles".

Annette Driver as Maria gave an extremely believable and skilled performance as a worried single mother trying to manage the family life. The men who had been, and still were around were not seen, with the exception of a photograph but whose actions and influence had obviously made a huge impact on the women’s lives. Emily Bowen as the mysterious Deirdre had the ability to amuse and generate concern in equal measure and played this challenging role superbly with a maturity beyond her years.
This is just a brief outline on individual performances because it was the four women together who carried this brilliant play, and rather like a jigsaw, individual pieces being brought together and giving you the whole picture. It was a wordy play, giving an insight into the effect the Troubles of Northern Ireland had had on ordinary families and their neighbours.
This was an amateur performance performed in a professional way with some superb acting.
The set was very different on the newly altered stage at this theatre; with white woodwork and hanging window and door frames with no doors, a stage that you could move around to suit. It all worked very well as the kitchen/ dining room changed into a club and bar and with metal beer barrels to indicate that the scene was outside the club.
My congratulations go to all those concerned with this play from back stage to front of house and especially to Wendy Bishop the director. It was a bold decision (pardon the pun) to decide to do this play, but to me and from what I got from the audience; the right one. It was a superb performance; something that will be remembered for a long time as one of the greats for the Blackmore Players.
 

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