Di and Viv and Rose

DI and VIV and ROSE a play presented by Wigan Little Theatre at Wigan Little Theatre, Crompton Street, Wigan on Saturday, 22nd April 2023.

Di and Viv and Rose… is a funny, moving, and thoughtful exploration of friendship penned by Amelia Bullmore in 2011.  This play, set in 1983, tells the story of three very different young women who are thrown together at the age of eighteen whilst attending University. As ‘University Freshers’ they decide to join forces and share a house … life is a blast and they feel unassailable, but, after a short period of time they find themselves living in each other’s pockets, living together becomes intense and life has some unexpected plans for all three of them and their friendship!  Their ‘friendship’, with all its up and downs, now spans a dramatic 30 years …  let’s take a glimpse at the journeys of these three friends!

Production Team… Martin Green (Director) did a brilliant job with this play!  I’m never sure if ‘working’ with friends is easier or harder than working with total strangers, but in Martin’s case and having read his programme notes, he tells us that “working with this small tight knit group of friends has been a joy” … and having now seen the result of those labours … I can only suggest that this was a ‘partnership’ that worked ever so well … well done Martin, great casting, great direction, loved the results!

THE CAST …  whenever you have a really small cast, it is imperative, for the success of the production, that the cast worked really well together, there has to be chemistry, each will have their own part to play, yet they must be willing and able to work together as a team… all these characteristics were front and centre here at Wigan… there was no ‘individual star performance’… the ‘star’ the ‘showstopper’ from this production was  ‘THE CAST’ … three young ladies coming together, working their socks off… whilst creating just wonderful theatre…

‘Di’ -       played superbly well by Colette Davies-Kerwin is a sporty lesbian business student, bursting with bags of energy!
‘Viv’ -     played by Tara Haywood … is a judgemental, driven, ambitious design student … who is intent on escaping her roots!
‘Rose’-   played by Erinna Delaney … is more middle-class, nonchalant, a student of Art History!

A well-chosen, well-rehearsed cast, who, as individuals were great, but when they came together as a team… were amazing!  As stated previously, this is a play all about ‘friendship’ and the cast were able to show that friendship with effortless ease… the intimacy and the thought-provoking exploration into that friendship was front and centre in everything that was seen and heard. Each cast member had her own individual story to tell, which they did with great aplomb!  The chemistry was amazing, the stage presence off the charts, the storytelling and the characters created were authentic!  Loved the mannerisms and the facial expressions which were there throughout from all three; loved how their individual stories became intertwined, yet still came across so clear and so individualistic!  I can
only say congratulations to all three ladies… you made this an amazing production!

Before I move on and I didn’t want to ‘separate’ these ‘three young ladies’ in any way shape or form, because I did think the success of this play was down the direction and the chemistry created by all three, but I really couldn’t move on or omit from this review the ‘testimony’… ‘monologue’ … ‘eulogy’ given by Colette Davies-Kerwin in Act 2 … OMG - IT WAS AWE-INSPIRING!  Honestly, I had ‘goosebumps’ … the entire theatre went silent, you could have heard a ‘pin drop’ … the empathy just oozed from every word, it was so real and powerful… not sure it could have been delivered any better, without doubt a ‘production highlight’ for me … congrats Colette, be ever so proud!

SET/STAGING/TECH… simple yet imaginative sets, cleverly designed scenery changes, classic music and projected images were used ever so well throughout, all of which helped transport us from the 1980’s to 2010 and enhance this successful production so much….  Joe Wiswell (Stage Manager); Martin Green (Director and Set Designer), Brian Heap, John Gostellow, Kevin Fairhurst, Phil Wood, Gary Hill and David Flanagan (Set Construction); Christine Armstrong, Val Miller, Ellen Fitton, Maureen Schofield, Barbara Rimmer, Veronica Teasdale, Mary B Hill, Maggie Hall and Pat Ashurst (Set Painting); Katie Davis, Amanda Leaman, Isaac Higham, Anne Martin and Sharlize Munro-Labuda (Props/Stage Crew)… should all be congratulated on their efforts in producing this set and making it work with effortless ease!. 

Lighting and Sound was, as always here at Wigan Little Theatre, first class under the watchful eyes of Owen Rasburn (Lighting), Colin Haynes and Kim Brown (Sound)… well done folks… great job!

Wardrobe… was apt and suitable… provided by Cast and Director.

As I’ve said on many occasions before… I always keep my ears open during the interval and when leaving the theatre, it’s a great source of information about what the audience thought of the production… first impressions and all that… well, if my ‘ear wigging’ information is anything to go by and having also read some of the social media comments since… this production was up there with the best that WLT have produced… to which I can only concur!

Thank you so much for inviting my wife and I … already looking forward to Guys and Dolls, one of my all-time favourite musicals and one that I’ve had the privilege and pleasure to perform in three times!

Stay safe, keep well…
‘Stronger Together’.

Jim Briscoe
NODA NW
District 6 Rep

 

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