How the Other Half Loves

How lovely to see a full house, with everyone wearing masks, in a well-ventilated Hall.  This was a celebration, with everyone enjoying the experience.  Good to see Redbourn’s audience returning without reservation.

A difficult play to accomplish on a village hall stage, but it was well done, and one could appreciate the set and the way the actors used it, down to being extremely well-rehearsed.

This production was not without incident, on the night I attended, one actor stuck in traffic on the M1 due to an accident, meaning we started late, and an audience member being taken ill – but the cast and front of house worked through incredibly well without a break….ah the joys of amateur theatre!

The play was well-directed and exceedingly funny, several laugh out loud moments, and lots of giggles – due not only to the script, but also to the characterisations, all of which were for me, spot on.

The set was well thought out, and despite being very prop-heavy, was easy for the actors to negotiate, and Act 1 Scene 2 was particularly impressive.

I enjoyed the relationships, Maureen Wallis (Fiona) and Mario Violentano (Frank), the older couple, Fiona the elegant wife, Frank the slightly confused older man (needing a few prompts!), typical of a long-standing couple trying to get a bit of excitement into their separate lives.

Andy Turner (Bob) and his rather neurotic wife Becky Vernon-Clinch (Teresa), the younger couple, Bob enjoying an affair with Fiona, and treating Terry as a typical housewife of the era – very telling, and of its time – fortunately we have moved on a bit these days!

The final couple was David Howell (William) and Andrea Clare (Mary) – I loved the characterisations here, little points such as moving simultaneously, i.e. sitting on the sofa together, then lifting up and sitting back, and the turning from the different tables, all so well done and very slick.

A very enjoyable evening, good acting, good portrayals, and well directed.  I was very impressed as this was a complicated plot which needed attention to detail to bring the comedy to bear, which I felt the cast achieved very well.

My thanks to Redbourn Players for their hospitality, so nice to be getting back to some sense of normality.

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