London Wall

A small theatre, a small stage and a small cast by no means make for a small production. The Attic Players brought London Wall to the stage for the first time in Wales and did a marvellous job of recreating the trials of female office workers in the 1930’s. Act 1 opens in the offices of a London solicitors. The set was obviously the result of a great deal of research, time and effort. It was very authentic and evocative of the period with some lovely touches, such as the Adler typewriter calendar hanging on the wall. Branwen Munn’s lighting and sound were just right and costumes by Suzanne Munn worked very well. Scene changes were dealt with in a slick, well-choreographed manner, with cast staying in character throughout. Hinged flats provided a quick and effective mid tab alternative. Overall, it was obvious the society had spent time working on the attitudes and cultural history of the time. This cast had been directed with care and attention and the piece had been given the respect it deserved by the Director, Melanie Davies. There was a lovely performance from Beth Woolley as Miss Milligan, the young and inexperienced typist. Beth portrayed the innocence and wholesomeness the part asked for and was a joy to watch. The play was well cast, with good characterisations from Rod Davis as Mr Birkenshaw, the office wide boy, Alan Waterman, who played Mr Brewer with just the right amount of sleaze and Claire Woolley as Miss Hooper, the lucky girl who “got the ring”. Glenn Gaunt played the shy and earnest Hec with humour and great facial expression and Mr Walker and Miss Bufton were played well by Roger Smith and Sarah Phillips. A wonderful cameo from Jenni Steer as the eccentric Miss Willesden. She provided a masterclass in comic timing and made me smile every time she entered. The stand out performance came from Justine Dodd as Miss Janus. Justine perfectly portrayed the frustration of a woman at 35, finding herself facing spinsterhood after giving her all to her fiancé. She proved a safe pair of hands for a role that called for dramatic as well as softer moments. This was my first evening with The Attic Players and I’m happy to say I’ve discovered a jewel of a theatre and a jewel of a society. Well done all!

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