Kindly Leave the Stage

STARS  latest play, Kindly Leave the Stage by John Chapman, opened with a seemingly conventional staged dinner party between two couples who had clearly known each other for some time. So far so good – not a play that was going to set the world on fire but one that might be mildly entertaining. About halfway through the first act the actors started missing their lines and needing prompts. It was at this point that the audience couldn’t quite work out what was happening – this was so out of character for STARS. The explanation was that the show was a very cleverly written play within a play. 
The actors all gave excellent portrayals of their characters both in their slightly dull stage roles and as the much more animated actors of the repertory company. There was a positive change in the delivery of their dialogue and physicality.
 Joan Tattersall changed from the dutiful wife into a woman in love. Garry Darbey was perfect as the  hard working solicitor who really doesn’t want to be bothered with having to deal with work related problems at home particularly when it isn’t quite his field of law. Dave Collins played his character in a manic crazed fashion and he showed how good he had been at maintaining this characterisation when he was challenged to do some “proper” acting. Jane Collins looked glamorous and was convincing as the lover that her stage husband had taken.  It was clear that she cared significantly more for him than he cared for her. Judith Smith was excellent as both the slightly overbearing mother and the solid supporter of real acting talent seen from the perspective of an established theatrical career. 
Credit to Judith and Jane who maintained their characters during long periods when they had nothing to say.
Janine Head had a lovely cameo as the prompt and similarly Marie Isbister almost steals the show as the St John Ambulance nurse. But that honour goes to Chris Binns as Edward. He is magnificent as the once leading man who staggers on drunk and is the only one who believes the cast is still doing the original play. He breaks into Shakespeare at any opportunity and laments his former glories.
The technical aspects of the play – the costumes, the lighting, props and stage management – also gave good support to the overall performance. The attention to detail in the set & props was first class. Kindly Leave the Stage was directed with attention to detail by Dorothy Schofield, who fully understood the intricacies  of a ‘play within a play’ structure.

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