Ladies Day

Having visited The Little Theatre Donnington in the past, I was very much looking forward to a return visit—and I wasn’t disappointed. What a wonderful gem this theatre is. Almost like Doctor Who’s TARDIS, it appears small from the outside, but once inside, it opens up into something quite remarkable.

My last visit was for The Wizard of Oz. This time, we were transported to Royal Ascot and Ladies Day. As always, the warm welcome at Donnington stood out—not just from the front-of-house team, the bar, and the coffee bar, but also from fellow audience members. Some even recognised me from a previous visit, while others were keen to share their appreciation for the theatre and the consistently high standard of entertainment provided.

I was also delighted to meet Carol Robertson, the director of this latest production.

As we entered the auditorium, we were greeted with the set of a fish filleting factory in Hull. The opening scenes had the four women engaging in casual, familiar banter—discussing what they’d had for tea and watching Emmerdale. It was immediately relatable and effectively drew the audience in.

The script is both witty and poignant, with each of the four main characters gradually revealing their backstories. These moments were brought to life with real heart and humour by a cast who clearly worked well together, with no one performer dominating the stage.

Helen Madden played Pearl, who announces her retirement from the fish factory and suggests attending Royal Ascot (held in York that year) with her three colleagues: Shelley, Linda, and Jan. Helen portrayed Pearl with great warmth and feeling, especially in the scenes reflecting on her love affair with Barry (seen briefly towards the end of the evening played by Ian Clark).

Emma Finch gave a thoughtful and well-balanced performance as Linda, a woman who initially appears downtrodden and undermined by her mother. Her scene with Patrick the jockey (Simon Lloyd-Roberts) was particularly touching—poignant and tender, and beautifully acted by other.

Shelley, the confident and lively character determined to get on TV and have a good time, was wonderfully portrayed by Amanda Nicolle. Meanwhile, Leigh Kendal brought depth and pride to her role as Jan, a single mum who spoke with heartfelt emotion about her daughter.

Finally in the line-up was Robert Astle who played the at times frustrated TV presenter as well as the ticket tout. Not sure whether Richard already knew tout talk (is that the right term?) or had learnt it. Which ever he was confident in it.

Projections were used to help set the scene, though the stage lighting sometimes washed these out when fully activated. However, they served their purpose well in establishing the mood and location at the start of each scene. The minimalistic set worked effectively, with simple elements like bales downstage left and the Tote jackpot downstage right creating the necessary atmosphere.

Sound and lighting were used to good effect throughout. There was thoughtful use of props, though a small detail—such as actual tea in the teapot and milk or sugar—might enhance the realism in future productions.

While there were a few dropped lines and occasional prompting, the cast supported each other well, and these moments did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the performance.

All in all, it was another thoroughly entertaining evening at The Little Theatre Donnington. My thanks go out to everyone involved—I look forward to visiting again very soon.

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