Honk!

Honk
Tickenham Drama Club
Written by: Stiles and Drew
Performed at: Tickenham Village Hall
Performance Date: 17/07/25
Directed by: Steve Gregory
Musical Director: Sue Parker
Choreographers: Steve Gregory and Des
Noda Rep: Mike Purnell

Thank you for a lovely warm welcome from everyone, especially Lou. The diet
coke was very welcome. It was great to see you all again.
As usual there in place was a very impressive set built right out to maximise
your space. This is always a winner in this hall, as it never feels cramped. The
bull rushes looked incredibly real and the set was beautifully lit. Of late I seem
to be reviewing so many shows that I did myself many years ago. Sometimes
it feels like my life is flashing before me, but Honk was very special to me.
Such a gift of a part, and I must say this was a lovely trip down memory lane.
From the moment the lights came up on this heartwarming reimagining of
Hans Christian Anderson‘s the Ugly Duckling and Drake was in position. The
audience were welcomed into a world of colourful characters, toe tapping
melodies, and delightful surprises. This production was a testament to what
local talent and dedicated teamwork can achieve when they embrace the
quirks and joys of storytelling.
We were soon introduced to most of the main characters and ensemble in a
Poultry Tale. This was delivered with a great burst of energy and some very
vibrant colourful costumes, most of which defined the characters very well,
some not quite so much but they were a feast for the eyes nonetheless. This
is also where we could see how much vocal harmony work had gone into this
production. You created a nice full sound which filled the hall beautifully. With
the creative set you had the scene changes flowing along very nicely at a
very good pace. Entrances and exits seemed nice and sharp. So great pace
was set from the off and maintained throughout. The creative staging also
made clever use of the hall’s modest space with inventive props, I especially
liked the umbrellas.
This production was clearly a labour of love and the audience responded with
much laughter and applause and a few teary eyes I’m sure. Honk is a
heartwarming reminder of the power of community theatre, inclusive, joyful
and thoroughly entertaining.
Congratulations you made quite a splash!

Musical Director
Congratulations yet again. You single handedly managed that score (along
with Steve on drums) and got a rich full sound. The simpleness seemed to go
with the piece perfectly. Only when the company were set far back did we
miss a few words but the balance among the solos and duets was just right.
Some good strong harmonies were coming through throughout. I could see a
lot of work had gone into that which paid off.

Choreography
Well done chaps. With limited space and modest staging you worked your
magic giving us a lively barnyard bursting with energy. I could see each
number had been thought through and continued the storytelling, I felt you
brought out the best in everyone. A Poultry Tale, Wild Goose Chase and
Warts and All were especially joyous packed with strong formations and
comic touches. What was nice to see was that although it was as polished as
possible it didn’t feel rigid and each character could express themselves
bringing heart and humour.

Ugly (Des)
What a great bit of casting. Such a perfect role for you Des. You delivered
with sincerity, humour and emotional depth. From the minute you cracked
open your journey was captivating. “Different” was a stand out moment sung
with conviction. You had us rooting for you right from the off. The relationship
with your mother came through in spades. Not surprising really I suppose,
but made it all the more touching. This was a performance that lifted the
show and gave the production its soul. Well done.

Ida (Alex)
Always the devoted mother a role that demands warmth, comic timing and
emotional depth. Tick, tick, tick.I must say, your comic timing really came to
the forefront. You knew exactly how to deliver a line and make the most of it.
You gave a strong and expressive vocals adding weight to Ida‘s songs and
helping convey your characters journey from worry to hope. You and Drake
worked so well off of each other. It felt very well rehearsed and was very
moving when finally being reunited with Ugly. You really caught us
emotionally when thought you were saying goodbye to him. What a super
moment when he came back to stay on the farm. Lovely performance.

Drake (Garry)
What a lovely relaxed laid-back performance from you. I must say I felt this
was one of your best. Great chemistry with Ida bringing much warmth and
humour to the show. I really felt you’d worked on your technique for singing
your songs and I must say this really worked for you. They came across well.
You did well balancing the slightly clueless Dad energy with genuine affection
making him funny and endearing. Good job.

Cat (Dominic)
What a good baddie you make? What I loved about your performance,
although he’s the villain of the piece, you kept that twinkle in the eye which
almost made us as an audience root for you, very cleverly done. Your
presence added a vibrant contrast to the more heartfelt moments of the
show, keeping the energy high and the audience engaged. Good comic
timing and expressive facials. I thought the nails were a nice touch and your
costume worked well.

Maureen and Penny (Natalie)
As Maureen, you were confident and expressive standing out among the
large ensemble cast. You gave us clear diction and a lively energy that helped
bring the barnyard scenes to life.You played Penny with great sincerity and a
nice graceful charm. You had nice chemistry with ugly and added depth to
the final scene when you helped him embrace his true identity.

Queenie/Lobutt (Kat/Linda)
I was awaiting these characters as I know they’re quite often the two that
steal the show. Although I must say in this version all the characters were
very, very, well balanced and what came across was what a great team effort
it was. These were two wonderfully eccentric characters almost appearing
together as a comic duo with a flare for drama and distain. Together you gave
us great comedy bouncing off each other, and your duet was an audience
favourite and I loved the barnyard gossiping, gave us another layer of charm.
Well done ladies.

Bullfrog (Monty)
I so look forward to your performances. Having seen you now in a number of
musicals, I’ve grown to enjoy the energy you bring to everything you do. This
was a great part for you and if anyone was gonna steal the show it was you.
You had the audience eating out the palm of your hand and we enjoyed your
number very much. Solo frog also added a super vocal and energy to the
number. Well done to both of you.

Dot/Greylag (Rhonda/Stuart)
You both had a great chemistry on stage giving us a good contrast to
Greylags strict demeanour and Dots nurturing warmth. You both gave us a
good delivery which really helped anchor the military scenes.

Beaky (Izzy) Billy (Bea) Fluff (Eliza) Downy (Mya)
It’s good to see our younger element of the club shining through. You each
held your own individual characters and worked very well as a flock. I look
forward to seeing your progression as the years unfold.

Her Grace (Ruth)

I enjoyed your performance. I like how she was portrayed as the most
distinguished duck on the lake with a sharp tongue and no nonsense attitude.
You certainly made your mark in a supporting role. The blizzard solo was also
well sung and I liked the stunning costume.

Turkey (Barry)
Well done. You made a small part memorable. I liked the anxiousness of him
and constantly worried about becoming the main course at Christmas dinner.
Great delivery of “ I made it through Christmas “ one of my favourite lines.

Henrietta (Haz)
You gave us a good busybody character. With only a few lines you had great
timing so they all mattered.

Director (Steve)
Well done Steve. Another strong production at Tickenham Village Hall. I really
felt this was a great team effort all around, helping this production to be the
success it was. You are very lucky at Tickenham to have a strong pool of
actors and singers with which to choose. I felt this was very well cast, which
is a wonderful start when you come to put it on the floor.
If I were to offer any small observations, it might be that the ensemble
occasionally appeared a little uncertain when not directly engaged in the
action. A touch more direction—especially for those positioned towards the
back while dialogue unfolds in front—can make a subtle but powerful
difference, as the eye is often drawn to background movement.
On a practical note, the uniforms could perhaps benefit from a little tailoring,
particularly in the sleeve length. Even a quick fix like a safety pin might’ve
offered a neater finish.
All in all a superb entertaining night at the theatre and thank you once again
for this.
Best wishes
Mike

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