Cheshire Cats

This was my first visit to this group and I really hope that it won’t be my last. This play was all that it set out to be – moving, emotional and poignant and with a great deal of humour.  Cancer is such an emotive subject and I think it’s really good that it can be spoken about openly these days.  We all know friends and family who have been touched by this disease and the story of this group of people who were willing to “go for it” to make money for the charity was well written and well performed.

The five girls, Vicky, Maggie, Hilary, Siobhan and Yvonne played by Sue Talmadge, Helen Griffin, Charisse Goddard, Mandy Brown and Jane Parratt were all extremely different characters and I guess they all portrayed types that we actually know in one way or another!  Excellent character acting from them all and all looking great in their costumes which included pink tutus and pussy cat ears.  Steve Edwards played Andrew who joined the girls for the moonwalk, looking really good in his costume to match the girls, wearing a blonde wig and playing the part with gusto!

Lovely acting from Alison Attwood and Ann Taylor as Madge and Ethel, Marshalls for the moonwalk.  A bit of Elsie & Doris Walters there if you are old enough to remember them!

All the other parts added a great deal to the action – there was the Handsome Drunk (Warren Goddard), the Policeman (Bill Haniver) and the Aerobics Instructor (Helen Baird) who had us all out of our seats at one stage to do some limbering up exercises – great fun!  Jim Dobell, although of course not seen, was the Radio Voice and the Station Announcer, causing much laughter at his indistinct train announcements.

The serious side of the drama was also well put over and I particularly liked the emotive pieces of poetry said by one or other of the group whilst the others froze.

The set was simplicity itself needing only a few chairs.

I can understand why this went down so well at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006 and it certainly went down well in Polegate in 2017.  Congratulations to Director Cris Haniver and all involved when on stage or behind the scenes.

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