Fool's Paradise

This was a splendid evening by this talented company. It is some time since I laughed as much as I did tonight, which as the play is certainly a comedy, is testimony to the performers on stage. We were treated to a well constructed and dressed set and as the show commenced we were soon engrossed in the convoluted story line. One of my pet hates is poor diction but I am delighted to say that in this case, every word was both audible and delivered the way the author intended. Director Mandy Hall has ensured that the pace never faltered and her cast brought out all the humour with their excellent delivery and timing. There were some very good performances this evening, particularly Helen Barrow as Jane Hayling, who had a tremendous number of lines to master. This was made all the more impressive as she had only taken over the role three weeks ago. Rosemary Roe as the well travelled Brigette showed all her experience as she commanded the stage at every appearance and Vera Cummins delighted the audience with her portrayal of the long suffering Rose. This was an engaging performance and the audience could not wait for her next entrance. There was an interesting innovation with regards to the sound/lighting desk. This had been brought forward to the stalls area and presumably helped the operator as he/she was much nearer the stage. I do not remember microphones being used before at The Lowther, for a play that is. I believe that sound amplification should not be necessary as performers should be able to “project” sufficiently but having said that I did not find the presence of microphones intrusive.  I had a very enjoyable visit and look forward to the next production.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.