Don't Dress For Dinner

The Hoghton Players choose the renowned play ‘Don’t Dress For Dinner’ written by Marc Camaletti and adapted by Robin Hawdon. This play in the writers usual genre is a farce. It has 6 characters that all get intertwined in a very mixed up relationship story leaving them unsure what the actual truth is. The play was a good choice for the society as they have staged some very good farces in the past which are defiantly appreciated by the Lancashire audience.

Once again the society staged their play in the round. This really does work well in this venue, mainly because everyone in the audience feels they are a part of the action. However this does leave the actors very exposed. You really do get the sense of being part of the play and this helps the audience to feel the emotion that is being portrayed.

All dialogue could be heard, although there were numerous prompts throughout the whole piece. This seemed such a shame, as it disrupted the overall flow of the production. Due to the play being set in the round the people prompting are unable to be discreet and cannot just whisper the line. The prompt had to speak loudly, causing the whole hall to hear the line before it was repeated by the actor. Although numerous prompts were given the standard of acting was still very good. On occasion character names were also mixed up when addressing each other. This could easily have been as taken as if it was part of the actual script but the smiles from the actors let us know that they had just fluffed their lines. 

As previously mentioned the quality of acting was good and the audience really did get the feel the emotion within the scenes. A high standard of acting that captures emotion seems to be strength of The Hoghton Players, as they always seem to deliver on that count. Characterisations were well thought out and casting was good. Everyone worked well together, making the relationships believable. Also the way that each cast member acted to all four sides of the audience must be applauded, we don't think that anyone would feel left out and un-played to in the audience.

The script was very wordy and was played with a fast pace throughout. Some sections of dialogue were delivered at lightening speed, this helped to build intensity within the performance and gave the audience a real sense of the anxiety that matched was the characters were feeling. Also the constant blunder with ‘cook the book’ instead of ‘book the cook’ must have taken a lot of thought. 

The organisation of the rooms in the house had also been given a lot of thought and consideration. When chatting about rooms and moving to the front door or the kitchen, the cast made no mistakes at all. This enabled the audience to really envisage the layout of the house. The set was of a good standard and every detail was thought of, down to the stage dressing of ornaments on the sideboards. A couple of minor inconsistencies were noticed such as a vodka tonic only being poured out of a vodka bottle. The use of liquid which the cast actually drank, with ice and sliced lemon, gave a realistic feel once again giving the audience some very authentic staging.

Costuming was of a good standard and added to the overall feel of the production, with no one looking out of place. The use of sound effects was well mastered and each one was delivered on time. An actual mobile phone being used, which was rung and answered could not have been more true to life. Also the use of a real door bell being rung for the front door was a welcomed addition.

Once again we had an extremely enjoyable evening watching a show that had a couple of flaws, but still managed to deliver a narrative and get the required laughs from the audience. This play really did have everyone leaving their seats with a smile on their faces. We would like to thank the society for their kind invitation and look forward to their 2017 productions. 

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