Christmas Belles

Listed as a “Southern Fried Yuletide Comedy” this is the middle play of a trilogy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten. It is about the small-town eccentrics of Fayro in Texas, and the trials and tribulations of putting on a Church Nativity and mainly about the Futrelle family. It would seem  a perfect choice for St. John’s Church Hall in Helen’s Bay  but would actually deter anyone who was contemplating such a thing in real life! Squabbling sisters, family secrets, a surly Santa, a reluctant Elvis impersonator -what on earth can all these have anything to do with the Nativity?!

The Set was the sitting room of one of the Futrelle sisters – fairly crowded with all necessary props, centre back door and entrances/exits (to somewhere?) stage left and right. Sound may have been fine, and effects were on cue but the Texan accents deployed by the cast made dialogue very hard to hear. Lighting was mostly ‘on’ or ‘off’ but the front of the stage was hardly lit at all. Costumes were a mixture of good and bad – I suppose in a mixture of people there would be good and bad taste!!

Praise must be given to the appropriate Elvis costume and wig.

The action began well with the appearance of Anne Nixon as Miss Geneva Musgrave, the town florist.

An excellent understated actress, she appeared on and off throughout the play to “steady the ship” and her eventual dénouement in taking over the running of the Nativity was a natural plot progression! Having been Director for the previous 27 years, Geneva was unhappy that Honey Rae Futrelle (Joanne Corry) had returned home to take over. Honey Rae was in a permanent state of panic as problems piled one on another and Joanne coped well with the very wordy role and the amount of dashing on and off stage! Katherine Sharpe was her mainstay as Gina Jo who was going to play Mary in the nativity. She and her mother Frankie (another Futrelle sister) appeared to be the only reasonably sane people on stage – apart from the fact that Frankie regularly spoke to her deceased mother in heaven! ((That reminded me of Tevye in ‘Fiddler on the Roof”!) Played by Tara Stewart, Frankie was unexpectedly pregnant in middle age and lumbered in and out trying to sort her family out and complain about her discomfort! Tara was very convincing, and I was disappointed that her baby did not arrive during the play! Her husband Dub (David Humphries) mirrored his wife’s pain, but his reason turned out to be Kidney stones! His main dialogue was groaning! 

Aoife Quinn played Twink, the black sheep of the family, who was on work-release from the County jail, to help with the pageant.  Under the guard of Deputy Sheriff John Curtis Bunter, Twink was serving time for torching her ex-boyfriend’s memorabilia in revenge for his unfaithfulness! In her prison uniform, Aoife managed to look glamorous and more sensible than most others! As Sheriff, Michael Crutchley was in his element as he put his comedic gestures into action and I’m sorry he didn’t give us a verse of “Jailhouse Rock” as Elvis! In the role of Pastor Justin Waverly (who was in love with Gina Jo) was Paul Moore. His funniest lines were concerning the swallowing of the engagement ring and how it would be retrieved! Fitting easily into the crazy situation was Alison McQueen as local friend and cupcake baker, Rhonda Lynn Lampley.  The tried and tested plot twist was that she was a long lost Futrelle sister! With no particular reason for her part in the plot, glamour was added by Iryna Kennedy as wealthy socialite Ivanka Price. She was a breath of fresh air as she descended from sarcastic rich girl to very inebriated middle-aged woman! In contrast, Wendy Quinn wandered in and out as dazed elderly lady who “loved Christmas”! Wendy claimed the crown ‘though! – that of telling Luke’s gospel of the Christmas story.

All the characters in this play were supremely stereotypical and, to be honest, the American sense of humour was not mine. Director Rosemary Jayne did her best with it but I know she was frustrated. The players immersed themselves into the production and I applaud them for that. 

This was my final attendance as NODA Representative,  and I would like to thank everyone involved down the years for the many productions I have had the pleasure to review. Kerry Kane and Jim McGuigan are taking over my member societies in N.Ireland in January (my list has become too long for one rep.!) HBP will be on Kerry’s list but, as she lives in Portstewart she may not get to you every time. (You will have had her details from our Regional Noda Councillor) I will, however, be back as an ordinary supporter – maybe even as kitchen helper!

 

The views in this report are solely of the author.

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