Hey Fever

HAY FEVER a play presented by St Ambrose Players at ‘St Ambrose Halls 4 Hall’, Moss Lane, Leyland on Thursday, 11th August, 2022.

‘Hay Fever’ is a somewhat complex, yet farcical play penned by Noel Coward. It was first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. The play is set in an English county house in the 1920s, and deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family and their outlandish behaviour when they each invite a guest to spend the weekend with them. Their self-centred behaviour finally gets too much for their guests, who decide to flee the household together, whilst the Bliss Family are engaged in another row and are totally unaware of their ‘guests' furtive departure.

I must confess to having seen very few Noel Coward plays and this was the first time that I had seen ‘Hay Fever’.  I’m told, from those in the know and from what I’ve read, that ‘Coward’ isn’t the easiest of playwrights to perform or direct, but St Ambrose, with the experienced and ever so talented David White (Director) at their helm; assisted by Paul Regan (Assistant Director) they achieved both with great aplomb!  With a strong, experienced and well-rehearsed cast at their disposal, they were able to ensure that every aspect of this production was well thought out, down to the smallest of detail!  So, congratulations to David and Paul on a job well done, be ever so proud gents!

With all that said, I still left ‘St Ambrose Halls for 4 All’ that evening a little bemused as to what I had just seen?  This play has very little or no storyline for you to cling onto; it has very few ‘belly bursting’ moments, the action is complex and ever changing, the dialogue intricate and rapid… so why I had enjoyed it so much?  Was it the heat, (one of the hottest days ever) … no, the answer was obvious and one that I’ve already touched on… 'a strong, experienced and well-rehearsed cast’, who, gave us their all throughout the play, even though the conditions were really testing! 

THE TEAM…this is where I usually ‘stick my neck out’ and start identifying MY favourite performances. This production, as suggested above, was not down to an individual but down to ‘teamwork’ from not only from those ‘on stage’, but those working ‘backstage’ who also worked ever so hard throughout the evening, and who had helped create a ‘set’ that not only allowed the actors to do their ‘thing’ with great dexterity, but which also afforded and enhanced the overall performance of the production so much….

The Cast… a cast of nine included… ‘The Bliss Family’… Carole Unitt who took on the role of ‘Judith Bliss’ a mother of two, an aging actress looking to revive a fading career, married to David, she is an eccentric, flirtatious, seductive character!  Carole did a great job with this role…wonderful stage presence, never out of character, looked comfortable throughout and made this part her own… be proud Carole, great job! Husband ‘David’ was played ever so well by Chris Hill.  Intelligent, flirtatious, David and Judith are never at ease with each other, his only real passion is his writing of obscure novels. Chris approached this role with real confidence, had great stage presence, was a perfect for this role… congrats Chris great job sir!  The children… ‘Sorel’ and ‘Simon Bliss’ were played wonderfully well by Sarah White and Ben Percival respectively!  Both created totally believable characters and worked ever so well together. ‘Very posh’, very argumentative, both with wonderful stage presence and great diction… their opening scene was superb which set the tone for the entire play… be ever so proud guys - great job!   The Guests… the complexities of this play continue with the arrival of the ‘Bliss Family’ guests…  ‘Judith’s’ invited guest was ‘Sandy Tyrell’ played by Paul Regan. ‘Sandy’ is a boxer, well-mannered and a very kind young gentleman. Paul looked totally comfortable in this role; another who oozed stage presence and was the perfect fit for this role, be proud Paul, great job!   ‘David’s’ invited guest was ‘Jackie Coryton’ played extremely well by Kerry Chippendale. ‘Jackie’ is a naïve young lady, innocent, unsure, unaffected… polar opposite to the ‘Bliss Family’ and totally out of place!  Kerry did a great job in characterising this role, stage presence aplenty, great diction and mannerisms… be ever so proud young lady!  ‘Sorel’s’ invited guest was ‘Richard Greatham’ played by Steven Barnes, an English diplomat, confident, well-mannered and very posh!   Steven looked totally at home in this role, another with great stage presence, well done Steven, good job!  ‘David’s’ guest was the tough, independent often outspoken ‘Myra Arundel’ played ever so well by Alison Griffiths-Barnes.  Confident, totally comfortable in this role, great stage presence well done Alison, great job!  Dot Pilkington took on the role of ‘Clara’, the housekeeper and life-long friend and ‘stage dresser’ to Judith during her theatrical days.  Dot was a perfect fit for this role, great mannerisms and kept in character throughout, good job Dot, be proud!

The Set… A single set, which covered every inch of the stage was brilliantly designed, beautifully dressed and used throughout the play!  Honestly, I’m running out of ‘superlatives’ to describe thisand the many other fabulous sets that I’ve seen created here at St Ambrose; but this was another outstanding backdrop, created just for this play!  Credit for all this and the many other sets that have gone before… in the words of Stage Manager – Graham Forrest, is all down to ‘Teamwork’.  Graham has a wonderful team working alongside him, who design, build and paint these wonderful creations… they include Martin Dempsey, Gordon Manley, Tony Stevens and ‘painter extraordinaire’ Paul Gregson… well done guys, be ever so proud, which I know you all are!

Sound and Lighting was under the watchful eye of Stephen Porter, and was great throughout… congrats Stephen great job! 

Costumes were fabulous and appropriate for this production. Provided by the cast and under the care and control of Siobhán Edge, Jean Lee and Tina Smith.  Props… were excellent and used well by the cast… being cared for by Siobhán Edge and Candice Boardman.

Finally, can I please take this opportunity to not only ‘thanks’ the Committee and Members here at St Ambrose for inviting Susan and I to see your performance, but also for allowing me to meet and speak briefly to the cast after the show and for allowing me to pop into one of their rehearsals a few weeks ago!  Show nights are always ‘manic affairs’ with very little time for anything, so attending rehearsals is not only a privilege and a pleasure for me, but it also affords me the opportunity to meet, speak and get to know you guys and for you to get to know me!  Let’s hope we can do it all again soon!  Congratulations to all concerned for what was a truly great evening… hope to see you all soon!

Jim Briscoe
NODA NW
District 6 Rep

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