Daisy Pulls it Off

This was the second production in their Centenary Year for the Society having previously performed the play jointly with Sidmouth Youth Theatre to much acclaim 30 years ago.

The piece almost certainly evoked memories amongst older audience members, for although set at the prestigious Grangewood School for Girls in 1927, the tunics, girdles, staff gowns and assembly hymns were still very much the order of the day for several decades after!

In this play within a play the central character of Daisy, an elementary school pupil, gains a scholarship to Grangewood and although top of the class in everything and excelling in sport and music, she struggles to be accepted and is the object of some spiteful teasing and practical jokes. As the story bowled along in “spiffing” fashion Daisy and her one chum Trixie searched for the hidden treasure of the Beaumont’s in the hope of saving the family fortunes.

Drawing on pupils from five local schools together with adult and junior members of the Society the cast all did a super job, and it was good to see a familiar face from past productions back on-stage as Daisy’s long-lost father, although not from the 1992 performance!

All the teaching staff played their roles with believable authority. Mr Scoblowski was suitably enigmatic with a mid-European accent, he prowled around the halls seemingly in league with the handy man/gardener who obviously had his own agenda, and who turned out to be not only Daisy’s father but a member of the Beaumont family to boot!  

We were also treated to an efficient and rather formidable form teacher, Miss Granville and an effervescent and excitable Mademoiselle! Miss Gibson, the Head, was played with gravitas, initially addressing the “parents”, that is the audience at “Speech Day” from downstage to outline the action to come. She also drifted in from time to time to further address the staff and pupils taking up the same position, but perhaps on these occasions she would have been better placed more upstage as they were for the most part behind her.   

All the girls played their roles with enthusiasm, and their individual characters shone through. There were some lovely moments on the pretend hockey-pitch, with some excellently directed “moves”. The “virtual” library, and the portrait gallery scenes were great fun when the pupils entered with piles of books and hand-held portraits. The two senior girls were kindly, but firm with the younger pupils, always keen to do the right thing. Sybil was perfectly horrid and spiteful to Daisy from the outset, aided and abetted all the way by her best friend Monica, but she apologised finally when realising that Daisy was actually a pretty “good egg”, especially when she was saved from certain disaster on the cliff edge! 

The delightful younger pupils were full of energy and gusto with dormy midnight feasts and hot water bottle fights, acting as narrators from their down stage dormitory, and in the classroom.

All the hymns were rousingly performed with sympathetic accompaniment by the Musical Director in the wings.

Trixie and Daisy made for truly believable friends and were determined to follow the clues and solve the puzzle of the missing treasure. Trixie gave sterling support to her “chum” Daisy who in turn was perfectly “spot-on” and did without a doubt most certainly “pull it off”!

Costumes were just right for the era, and the scene changes around the simply designed set were handled smoothly by the pupils on stage, the desks were wonderful – those were the days! Two areas DSR and DSL had been extended, one to represent a dormitory and the other dressed as a cosy study complete with a practical fire – handy for toasting those crumpets!

For the most part the lighting complemented the action but on occasion actors SR didn’t seem as well lit, and certainly on the DSR rostrum for the Lower School dorm this area was at times almost in total darkness, difficult to know when the youngsters were narrating in unison whether this was by accident or design. 

Overall, however the production made for a jolly good fun and entertaining evening!

                        

 

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what they see at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance, and it is inevitable that their assessment will be affected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

 

 

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