Last Tango in Little Grimley and The Fat Lady Sings in Little Grimley

Membership of the local amateur drama society has dwindled to four. Time for dramatic action. There's only one thing that sells tickets these days - sex. But how will the locals react to the promise of a sizzling sex comedy? All is revealed in this fast-paced comedy of an Am-Dram in trouble. David Tristram's hilarious play, one of seven in the Little Grimley series of short plays, requires only the simplest of props and no scenery and that principle was put to great effect by STAC using one table and four chairs for the action and a few more stacked at the rear of the stage to suggest a village hall setting. Add some tango music and the opening scene was set at the group’s Annual General Meeting.

Each of the four players was excellent. Gordon played by Laurence Smith appoints himself as Chair, but an argument ensues with Margaret (Michelle Whitfield) regarding who should be chairperson. Joyce (Jane Lush) the treasurer, announces the last production made a loss and the hall rent is overdue for the last four years, but in any event the Landlord wants them out to make way for a cabaret club. Bernard (Nigel Hales)  has only ever made the sets and was not agreeable to being on stage, but the only way forward that Gordon can see is staging a play with sex, if Margaret would oblige by baring all! (Ironically next door in the main house at the theatre, it was packed with people watching an adult panto).

Each player delivered their lines to maximum effect and often the timed silences were funny as well as the written word. Laurence as Gordon provided the tension, exasperation and enthusiasm to solve problems superbly, with Michelle as Margaret the sensible one, but easily persuaded with the opportunity for stardom. Meanwhile Jane as Joyce looks to minute every spoken word whether relevant or not and whose only solution artistically is to sing in Seven Brides for Severn Brothers, albeit with a cast of three plus a builder.  Nigel as the set builder Bernard, speaks with honesty but likes the idea of Margaret not just baring her soul. Despite the haphazard preparations, word soon gets out, bookings flood in and the outcome is a financial success - and Margaret has 17 offers of marriage.

The second part of the evening could be described as a sequel to ‘Last Tango…’ called ‘The Fat Lady Sings in Little Grimley’. Gordon, Margaret, Joyce and Bernard are back to tackle yet another threat to their survival - this time in the shape of a rival am-dram group, newly-formed in an adjacent village, determined to upstage them with an award-winning musical. The querulous quartet pull together to devise an ingenious military-style plan that doesn't, well, go quite to plan. When their subterfuge is discovered by the rival society's psychopathic front-of-house manager, he's none too pleased. Add in a few emotional complications for Gordon, and things look a little grim for Little Grimley. Could this finally be the end of their society? It's never over ... until the fat lady sings.

The scene opens at another committee meeting, with Gordon wrestling with himself, without saying a word to apologise to Joyce. It was clever and hilarious at the same time. Gordon discovers that the competing group is being run by his ex-wife and in explaining this situation makes a great speech. Bernard also makes a great speech full of cliches which was very funny and Margaret offers to get hold of the contact details of the audience from the local sweet shop who have been selling the tickets, and tell the patrons that the venue has changed to their village hall. Gordon had prepared a new play to be performed to the diverted audience, which lasts 3 minutes and 54 seconds, including one word sung by Joyce and after the unsurprising disruption at the hall, all four reappear in bandages and casts!

When a play is well written as these were, they have to be well performed, and without flaws this production directed by Jason Moseley moved at a great pace and the comedy was brilliant. I recommend it to anyone that can make it to the Coach House Malvern from 1-3 May.

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