Kindly Leave The Stage

Hannah Boardman directorial debut is a side-splitting triumph of Kindly Leave the stage for Tyldesley Little Theatre’s final show of the season.

Cue Handel’s regal Water Music and the curtains open to royal blue and white wallpaper effect, with settee centre stage, small dining table and chairs upstage right and drinks table up stage left. Also present are writing bureau and large laundry type basket.  Set by Eddie Stanley and Liam Stanley. As always looked just the part and was fully functional.

All costumes were appropriate and Lighting and Sound added to the whole ambience of the living room of a garden flat.

I do not know this play and am so glad I didn’t as the reveal was brilliant! My husband and I start to watch the play with actors going about their business then funny little things start to happen and us thinking OMG! What is going on?! Then the dawning: we are watching a play within a play and the actors have got themselves into the dreaded loop of lines!  Slowly the audience start to grasp it too and then the laughter spreads.

Hannah Boardman takes on this challenge and certainly has a mic drop moment, what a joy for her first play! The cast work well together and the chemistry works well within the group. Repeated lines, over-acting, under-acting, wrong entrances and even unexpected guest on stage. The nightmares actors have learning lines and being in the wrong play all comes to fruition in one glorious reverie.

Rupert played by Adrian White was perfect for the role - he had to come up with every emotion an actor would only dream of. His sarcastic wit and one-liners as the man who finds out his wife actually prefers the other actor in the company - we watch his life unravel as he is told a few home truths. The over acting scene straight out of The Art of Course Acting by Michael Green - just brilliant!

Charles was played by Connor Parkinson, who also gave us two accents and some great facial expressions in response to Rupert. He also gets to spend some time in the laundry basket, so contortionist too - very funny!

Edward played by Ian Hunter, the aged, jaded drunk actor who is just waiting for his cue ‘YES!’ had just the right amount of controlled chaos in his “where am I?” state of mind; also having to go into Shakespeare soliloquies randomly, reminding us of the stiff BBC for School’s version - bravo!

Madge played by Diannah Miller was perfectly cast opposite Adrian White and Connor Parkinson. I felt she just needed to believe in herself and have more confidence. I could see why she was cast in this part and maybe nerves overcame on this occasion.

Sarah played by Gemma Manfredi as the actress who had just won best supporting actress, had a great character and also looked to have fun with the over acting scene. There were times when she was on stage for long periods without speaking but always in character and in the moment.

Mrs Cullen played by Roma Etherington burst onto the stage with such vim and vigour, she had the audience with her from the start: stridently entering thrusting her handbag into Charles’ chest and enhancing the energy levels on cue - excellent!

The nurse played by Margaret Speakes, the well-meaning St Johns Ambulance lady who always leads the clapping and idolises Edward. On entering the stage to help, the assembled actors all have various reactions to her and she just beds herself in for a bird’s eye view of the action. With her unwanted advice and unwillingness to leave the scene (literally) she was hilarious. Also, like Gemma she displayed similar skills of listening & looking the part.

Angela played Eloise Ward the young stage hand who dare not do anything without permission - a very sympathetic character. Lovely moment when she realised she is on stage in front of the audience - very entertaining!

Hilarious play! Great Cast! Brilliant night out!

Thank you for inviting me, my husband and I had a real laugh out loud night out (you probably heard me!).

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