Double Bill: See if I Care & Slim Chance

These two one act plays provided a showcase for the abundance of talent resident at the Arts Club; in particular, the abundance of female talent, as these two one act plays were both an all-girl affair. Both plays were completely new to me and, as always with any new theatrical experience, Blackburn Arts Club is the place where any first impression is likely to be a good one. So it proved here with the very solid and intelligent treatment of two lightly humorous one act plays.

'See if I Care' was a rather odd little confection, being the humorous tale of a couple of ladies and their park bench: it was made clear at the outset that the ladies very much considered it 'their' park bench with all the territoriality which seems to come with ladies of a certain age! Charlotte McConnell and Anne Starks played the comical pair with style, batting faintly veiled insults and expounding upon their befuddled world views in the measured tones one has come to expect from an Arts Club production: letting the dialogue breathe naturally without hurling it out at the audience, or keeping any meaning hidden with mumbled confusion. In fact, the apparent ease with which both the direction and the playing ease out the drama and let it unfold before an audience seems to be very much the house style at the Arts Club, as I cannot remember a production here which hasn't had within it the twin virtues of intelligent direction and universally strong performances across the board. Charlotte was a gem as the cantankerous old dear with a hidden secret and Anne was as superb as ever as her slightly more easygoing companion. The little twist at the end the tale was handled with just the right shift in tone and the whole piece - ably supported by Neeley Jennings and Ellie Smith - came across with a nicely judged feel for both the humour and pathos of the piece. 

'Slim Chance' by Peter Gordon was another one act play with which I was unfamiliar, this time carrying with it a flavour of both 'Stepping Out' and 'Calendar Girls' but without the former's rather cardboard cut-out approach to the characters' hinterlands, nor the latter's sentimentality. A group of ladies gather (late, as always) for their weekly weigh-in at the slimming club and as they do, their personalities spill out - along with their excuses for having gained rather than lost any weight since the last meeting! - in a gently humorous exploration of the human condition. Here was life as it is lived, given a gently comical slant as the scheme to keep the club going in the face of the ladies' shortcomings in the weight-loss department gathers momentum. Beleaguered fusspot and club organiser Jean (Anne Starks, again on fine form) ruled the roost with just the right amount of tetchy, dictatorial bluster beloved of organisers, chairmen - and chairwomen - and 'little Hitlers' across the land (and just how many of those could we in the world of am dram name without having to spare a moment's thought?!) Her rag-tag band of hopeless slimmers were brought to life in vivid tones by the rest of the cast, each with their own story to tell. Full of humour and expertly played, the ensemble worked wonders both in conjuring up their individual characters and in coming together as a team, suggesting the bonds of friendship holding the group together. The talented band of Arts Club regulars created a memorably motley crew, clearly enjoying themselves and bringing warmth as well as humour to the stage with their characterisations. Perfectly balancing a slightly skewed realism with the required knockabout daftness to get the most of the humour from the piece, here was another gem of a production which didn't outstay its welcome and breezed merrily along for the amusement of all. 

Both plays benefited from the excellent technical support which always seems to add that extra touch of class: impressive sets, thoughtful lighting and imaginative accompanying music all on display once again. Continually bringing the very best from the possibilities any script has to offer with intelligent direction and strong performances isn't easy: Blackburn Arts Club make it look like child's play as they continue to achieve wonders time after time. Once again, my thanks go to everyone at the Club House Theatre and I wish you every success with your future theatrical endeavours. 

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