Heavens Close 2

Tonight, I had the pleasure to watch Audlem 5A’s production of Heaven’s Close 2.  Heavens Close 2 is a follow on from their last production: Heaven’s Close.  Set in a care home; and having narrowly avoided being shut down by social services, the care home owners, Becky and Barry, attempt to convince the wealthy Smythe-Whittington’s that this is the care home they desire.  This play was written by Colin Cliffe who had a great success with last year’s hit.  It is very cleverly written and it’s not hard to see why it was a finalist in the National 1 Act Play Competition.  The writing for this play gives the actors a great chance to show off their acting and comedic skills.  It is suitably farcical, and it was very much enjoyed by the audience. 

The set was small but apt and used very well throughout.  Consisting of three entrances, it gave the actors the chance to portray the elements of farce.  The costumes were good; suitable for each character.  I’m not a particular fan of synthetic wigs but in this instance, they added a comedy value to the overall piece.  There were no issues with lighting or sound which were basic for the venue but used well throughout. 

The actors playing the elderly patients in the care home, portrayed their roles well.  Being a farce, we were never really introduced to well-rounded, three-dimensional characters but that is okay.  They were still funny and told their story well.  I particularly liked the actor playing ‘Mr Andrew’s’.  He had good comedy timing and I liked his character portrayal. 

The main cast did very well both physically and vocally.  Projection, articulation and general storytelling were very good.  The actress playing Becky was very good at her role.  She had good stage presence and had excellent projection.  I also liked the actress who played the role of Sally.  She had good physical comedy and had a great rapport with the other actors onstage.  Colin Cliffe played the main role of Barry, the hapless owner of the care home.  He was suitably good at comedy timing and portraying the dramatic sides to his character.  He had elements of Basil Fawlty and Mr Bean and the audience enjoyed his performance very much.

There were lots of instances in the show when actors forgot their lines and cues; including punchlines that were ever-so-slightly off the mark.  In my opinion, I felt it needed a few more weeks rehearsal in order for it to be a polished, outstanding comedy.  Despite this, it was still suitably funny and had great moments throughout.

Audlem 5A’s Drama group are a society that have been running for over 25 years.  It’s clear that a lot of love and attention goes into their productions.  They are a society that pull together and everyone has a role to play.  I felt very welcome and looked after very well.  I wish them all the best for the future and cannot wait to return for their Panto production later on in the year. 

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