My Mother Said I Never Should

We enjoyed the production very much, well-directed and well-acted by the small but good cast.

The set was very minimal in some respects, but I liked the way certain props were employed, e.g. the swing, washing line etc, plus the cast moving their props into position so keeping the flow of the production.

Lighting was suitable for the play, and projection from all the actors was excellent.

We were warned beforehand that the play in itself could be a little confusing, as it hopped between different years quite quickly, but the Director, Julie Field, had cleverly used soundbites to set the year, which enabled us to switch into the different eras, so no confusion, and it helped the understanding of the piece, nicely accomplished. 

The costumes were suitable for each person, and I was aware there were some very quick changes.

I was very impressed with the four actors, they had good interaction, and so much rang true of the mother/daughter relationships!

Sheila Scull as Doris had an immense amount to say, and covered all her ages extremely well, I was very taken with her portrayal, which gave us the warmth of a grandmother, the sometimes ascerbic mother/daughter vibe, and everything in between to all the younger actors, a very good portrayal.

Irene Morris always gives a sympathetic interpretation, and again as Margaret, covered the range of ages and various emotions very well.  The only scene we were a little perplexed by was when she died, but that became clear in the following scene!

Sara Payne created a good Jackie, very different from the other characters, in that she was a go-getter, whilst the others were more homely types.  I thought she gave a lovely performance when she was giving away her baby, very emotional, I could feel her angst.  Sara gave a varying dimension to the piece, whilst seeming to be a little outside the family, which was a good departure.

The final part of Rosie was played with understanding by Eleanor Field.  This young lady has come on in leaps and bounds, and gave a beautifully rounded portrayal, with energy and confidence.

I must admit I was a little sceptical during the first scene as to the direction the rest of the play would take, but once I got the feeling of the relationships I was able to settle down and enjoy a very well-presented production. 

So much rang true, and also brought back memories of the various eras, with some laugh-out-loud moments, interspersed with wry humour and poignant moments – which we really enjoyed.

WDS more often than not impress, they have good actors who give energy and understanding to their productions, insightful Directors, and good backstage and technical teams to support the whole production, making it a good theatrical experience.

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