Entertaining Angels

Whenever I review a Westovian production the two things that always stand out are the quality and professionalism evident in their shows. So it was with their latest offering, ‘Entertaining Angels’.

One does not usually start a review by remarking upon the set. This is normally swept up after all the other bases have been covered. In this instance tradition is being broken, however, for, although it was a fixed set throughout, the visual effect it imparted upon the audience was fantastic. Many congratulations go to the Set Design and Construction Team of David Gibson, Tristan Gaines and Ian Johnson.

Set in a rural English vicarage garden, the show itself follows in similar fashion. Under the talented direction of Peter Dawson, the cast of five were exceptional in telling the tale of the complicated interrelationships between two sisters. Grace, the recently widowed wife of the vicar of the parish, Ruth, her somewhat eccentric sister, recently returned from missionary work in Uganda, with her own dark secret ,Grace’s daughter Jo, who herself is in the throes of post marital problems, and the newly appointed woman vicar, Sarah, who is having a crisis of faith.

If this was not heady mix enough, also thrown in is the added complication of Grace having thought provoking conversations with her recently deceased husband and vicar, Bardolph, much to the consternation of the others.

Dolores Poretta-Brown was her usual outstanding self in the pivotal role of Grace, but that would have been all for nought if not for the wonderful support of the rest of the cast. I am not keen on using the term veterans, but prefer to say that the vastly experienced and talented Beryl Henderson (Ruth) Ron Markwick (Bardolph) and Mary Stephinson (Sarah) also played their roles exceptionally well, whilst relative newcomer Miriam Beber shone in the role of daughter Jo.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.