Caging The Wild Birds

This was a play that I had never heard of which wasn’t at all surprising when I found out that it had been specially written for Belper Players by Jeff Moule. He had taken inspiration from Patrick Barlow’s stage version of ‘The 39 Steps’ and adapted John Buchan’s ‘Mr. Standfast’. It was set in WW1 and is a satirical slant on the story of hero Richard Hannay who is recalled from active service to undertake a secret mission to find a German agent. He goes around the country disguised as a pacifist and even finds his way to Switzerland. There is a cast of twenty four players with some doubling up to portray the play’s thirty five characters. There are also twenty nine scenes which are not listed in the programme but were projected instead, with appropriate drawings or photographs, on to a large screen behind the performing area which was also used to display the words of the many included songs, thus enabling the audience to ‘sing-a-long’. One has to remember that there is no ‘stage’ or ‘wings’ in the Centre and the front row of the audience is literally inches away from the action so to attempt such an ambitious undertaking was no mean feat. The various settings included the trenches, trains, boats, planes, a bookshop, a Scottish Post Office, a bomb shelter etc. were all depicted by the clever use of ‘boxes’ and props, and were moved in the main by a Lady’s Maid (Emma Middleton) and a Gentleman’s Valet (Henry Gray) who sat at the side of the stage the whole time polishing away at the silver and “represented the role of domestic service and deference in this period”. The role of Brigadier General Richard Hannay DSO, who I might add was virtually never off the stage, was brilliantly played by Julian Woodcock. I cannot praise him enough, his portrayal was outstanding, he absolutely owned the stage, his professionalism, his whole being made the character totally believable, a truly magnificent performance. He met and fell head-over-heels in love with Mary Lammington, the femme fatale of the piece, and in this role Keren Adler’s exquisite over-acting was a sheer delight. A fine representaion of the ‘agent’ Moxon Ivory was splendidly delivered by Terry Stevenson and also deserving of mention was Maggie Burns, Alyson Koe and Roger Whiting in their respective roles, but actually, everyone who played a part, was worthy of praise. I must however, say how much I enjoyed the musical interludes. The singing of songs from the war years by Anna Yates and Paul Garrud was divine and they were accompanied on the piano by Susan Stevenson.

Congratulations must go to Jeff Moule, who not only wrote the play but directed it as well, for producing what was a tremendous theatrical experience and a wonderful night’s entertainment that was both full of fun and yet reminded us of what life was like during those dreadful years of war.

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