Hobson's Choice

This play, often given the misnomer of a northern comedy, is certainly one of the great British classics and must not be taken lightly as some societies are wont to do!

Saint Austin’s hit the deck running, so to speak, giving an absolutely stunning performance in all aspects of the play. The simplistic setting, with the clever movement of seating arrangements by the cast ensured that all were always in the light and not shaded by poor positioning or masking.

Keith Lowe as Hobson, the loud mouthed, self centred and opinionated owner of the best boot shop in the Salford area of Manchester, crafted his part with carefully thought out postures, commanding the stage throughout, yet without forgetting the other members of the cast.

Equally as impressive was John de Tute as the downtrodden William Mossop, the master bootmaker, employed by Hobson at a pittance of a wage merely to enhance Hobson’s own reputation. The change from the somewhat cowering, bowing and scraping workman into the successful businessman was well done, showing another facet of the actor’s already known abilities.

Completing the trio was Liz Brooks (Maggie Hobson) whose strong and forceful portrayal of her part was indeed a delight as she waded into her father and all and sundry with all guns blazing, ensuring that her needs and her sisters were to be catered for from her father’s wealth.

The rest of the cast ,although they could be cast as cameo roles gave us a standard on a par with the aforementioned and in particular one must single out Fr Tim Swinglehurst as the irascible Dr MacFarlane. His characterisation was, to say the least, perfect and proved a complete foil to Hobson in the scene where Hobson thinks he is dying.

The standard of Saint Austin’s Players continues to go higher and they are becoming recognised a major force in drama in the  Wakefield area.

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