Love on the Beach

It’s almost 2 years since we had the pleasure of visiting Adel & Ireland Wood Community Centre to see a STARS production and it’s so good to be back. You arealways guaranteed a quality production and an entertaining night from STARS and Love on the Beach, by Raymond Hopkins, was no exception.

Chris Binns plays the role of Tom Millard, and does a good job of portraying the widower looking to start a new life at the coast after his wife’s death. He brought a great depth to the part as the loving father and grandfather who doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Tom’s best friend Keith, played by Bernard Wilson, is the perfect foil for Tom. Where Tom believes in long-last love, Keith is far more interested in living life to the full. Over the course of the play we begin to see a softer side of Keith, and Bernard does an excellent job in making that change believable.

Keith’s change of heart is partly thanks to Kim Ross, the escort with a heart of gold, played by Rachel DeLuca. Rachel takes on the role with plenty of confidence, especially when she makes her first entrance brandishing a whip. Her dramatic entrance is matched by her dramatic skills throughout the play.

Tom’s daughters, Lucy (Georgia Dennis) and Jade (Marie Isbister) want Tom to move back nearer to them, although their motives are slightly selfish. The two actors worked well together in their plan to encourage a romance between their dad and their mum’s best friend, the larger-than-life Brenda.

Brenda was well played by Judith Smith, who ensures her character gets plenty of laughs from the audience without making her character overly one-dimensional.

Another fine performance came from Joan Kay, playing Sara, the local vicar. Joan and Chris co-directed the play, and should be congratulated on achieving should a high standard in both performance and direction.

The cast is topped by the excellent Janine Head, as the cleaning lady Alice, who, with her many ailments, steals the show with expert comic timing.

As ever with STARS, the set was designed, built, lit and dressed to perfection – huge credit to the Stage Manager, Rowena Saville, and her team, Mel Silver, Brian Stead, Jeff Brown, Julie Birmingham and David Waite. Sound and lighting by Neil Bradford, Dave Collins, Chris Beardswell and Dan Dainter, enhanced the production.

Overall, STARS latest production is a feel-good, farcical comedy that STARS can be counted on to deliver. It was just what was needed as we come out of the horrors of the last couple of years.

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