Easter Follies

Two one act plays, both with murder in mind, both approached in an entirely different way but both tongue in cheek comedies bordering on the farcical. Bang! You`re Dead, a four-hander including the wife, her husband, the boyfriend and your stock character spinster, although full of unexpected twists, was almost believable. However, one was brought back to earth with a jolt when Mark Stewart, the conniving husband Leo Spink, showed little emotion at the death of his wife. Why was this, I wonder? Surely, for the benefit of Miss Trim - Pat Williamson - the necessary witness, Leo would have performed an `art of coarse acting` display of overwhelming grief. Debbie Stewart, the wife and Reuben Loake were convincing as the scheming lovers and Pat Williamson was a twittery but resolute old maid.   A Jolly Sinister Jape was, well, a jape. The storyline was tortuous and the ending unexpected and for me, inexplicable, with the hand-cuffed pair Fatty Parsons - Heather Johnson and Biffy Strubshaw - Terry Pearson - being hauled away, leaving Ophelia Le Bobo - Ros White and Lord Stubbs - Steve White - to come to terms with his deception. The highlight of the play was undoubtedly the appearance of Heather Johnson in a quite incredible fat suit, comprising what appeared to be two footballs for boobs, shoulders to rival those of a baseball player and a general silhouette to make her look 37 stone. And it did! Having waddled around the stage, making passes at the ever dodging Lord Stubbs, she eventually peeled off the suit to reveal an exceptionally svelte flapper. There were several inconsistencies in this fairy tale but the perhaps that was the point. Who knows, except the author?

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