Hot Flush!

Harlequin Players Club were back on stage with their production of ‘Hot Flush!’ directed by first time director, Andy Carrick. The set was a strong feature of the production and fit for purpose. Each of the women had their own section of the stage as their home, with the central acting space being used for the other locations, such as the bar that they meet at every week. Projections were used to help transport the audience to the various locations, with photographs of different locations used. The scene changes were on the whole completed quickly and effectively, with music from Grace used to cover these changes. The pace was good throughout the production, and it moved along at a nice speed. It was nice to see that Andy had thought about the poignant moments of the musical, and giving them time to breathe on stage. The comedy was there throughout, and the audience were laughing throughout. Clear relationships had been developed, especially with the group of women. The support that they gave each other throughout was great to see. The costumes were good, and helped establish each individual character. Costumes were also used to inject humour throughout as well, especially in some of Matt’s costumes, as he played a whole host of characters.

Grace Harman was the musical director for this production. There was a simple band consisting of keys and drums, which worked for this production. The band was sympathetic to the cast. The vocals from the cast were good, although tentative at places, and there were some lovely moments in the moments when the cast sang together.

There was little choreography in the production, but it didn’t really need any full on dance routines. The moments where there were dance elements were simply choreographed and could be performed by everyone. There were times where the choreography was tentatively performed, with the cast looking at each other for reassurance.

Technical elements were generally good throughout this production. The sound balance between cast and the band was good throughout. There were moments where mics were cued late. This didn’t affect the production as such because the venue is small and the cast could be heard without mics. The lighting was good, with each area being lit when needed.

Nicola Holland played Myra, the divorce lawyer. Nicola’s vocals were very good, and she portrayed the character well. Her reaction to finding out that Sylvia was having an affair with her eighteen-year-old son was spot-on and funny. Nicola had a good stage presence, and utilised the space well.

Jan Bason put in a sincere performance as Helen, as she is finding her feet following the loss of her husband and her daughter leaving for university. Her numbers were performed well, and full of emotion, drawing the audience into her performance.  Jan’s storytelling was spot on throughout, showing a range of emotions, before getting her happy ending at the end.

Tina Wyatt played Jessica. Tina brought great humour to the role, and had very funny reactions. Tina’s songs were fun, and she used humour well to deliver the numbers. Tina’s vocals were pleasing. The supermarket scene was very funny, and was well played by Tina.

Emma Johnson played Sylvia, the sex-obsessed, HRT taking American. Emma played Sylvia as a ditzy character, which worked well. There were shades of Jennifer Coolidge in her portrayal, and she did well with the comedy. Emma’s vocals were good, and she worked well with the rest of the cast.

Matt Biggins worked hard throughout the production, playing Everyman. He really threw himself into each character, and did well to differentiate each one. Matt appeared to be enjoying every moment of the production, which allowed the audience to enjoy his performance. There were some great comic moments, which Matt delivered well.

Overall, this was an enjoyable production. There were nicely defined characters, the staging was good, and there were some great comedic moments throughout.

A big thank you to everyone at Harlequin Players Club for their kind invite and hospitality.

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