National Treasure

As the curtains opened onto the impressive set of Aldwych Hall, a retirement home for the stars, so began a beautifully observed, funny and touching original play by Natalie Anning, lovingly written for three generations of Tipton Players that she has been a part of since she was a child. 

And what a play. Residing in the pleasantly appointed Aldwych hall, with its lovely and very patient staff, are a selection of rather glamourous stars of yesteryear, each arriving back from the funeral of one of their number.  All have a rich history which we will witness first hand as we meet their younger selves. All have their own hopes and dreams for their immediate future at Aldwych, which for at least two of them is to secure the highly desirable suite which has now become available.

  We are first introduced to Beattie, a sunny, slightly mischievous being still turning away offers of work. She hangs out with Jimmy, the last of a great comedy duo, now a widower and the two of them run a book on who will secure the newly-vacated suite. Helena and Marguerite are staunch rivals, constantly jostling for one-upmanship. They have known each other since childhood. Arabella, a lovely retired doyenne of grand opera is vague and glamourous and we come to realise that her life is lived mainly in her head with her memories, one of which is embodied by her husband James, now a charming figment of her imagination.

These characters were played beautifully with real empathy and authenticity – each one a lovely portrayal.  This team of actors worked together beautifully with great comic timing – and on occasion, searing poignancy. Their scenes were really entertaining to watch. 

We are transported by flashback to their childhoods, beginning at Jimmy’s School where he met his comedy partner during one of his madcap school shows with his long suffering classmates. This was a wonderful moment with some great performances from the youth cast; young Jimmy was every bit as irrepressible as his older self as his magic act went as wrong as it possibly could. After disaster with the cards and the magic rings, the girl in the vanishing box was exposed as one of two identical twins – brilliant!!!  After his act,  Jimmy meets Rob who we learn eventually became Ernie to Jimmy’s Eric and the scene ends in a glorious rendition of Give Em the Old Razzle Dazzle – beautifully sung by Rob and the chorus, accompanied by a circus spectacular with spinning plates, magic rings, dancers and even a performing bear. 

Next we are transported back to the world in which Helena and Marguerite meet as children auditioning for drama school. Both are daughters of well-known stars and they are being manoeuvred into the showbiz world regardless of their interests (or abilities). The youngsters played these roles with real insight and it was touching to watch their faltering characters take comfort in friendship. The players portraying their famous and powerful parents, each played their roles with relish as they charmed and wheedled their way around the audition panels.

Back at Aldwych it soon becomes apparent that the newly-vacated residence is to be occupied by a new tenant and there is some speculation as to who this might be, even resulting in a truce between Helena and Marguerite. I don’t want to say too much more about the plot as it would be a shame to add spoilers since this script will surely be snapped up by other groups. Suffice to say the new incumbent, a soap star (much to the horror of Helena and Marguerite)  did not disappoint and we learn about her struggle into the world of greasepaint through flashbacks as well as being treated to a very neat ending back in Aldwych Hall!

This was a fresh new script, a lovely take on the subject matter, clearly written around the cast and well observed. It was a brilliantly organised and planned production.  As the show progressed it became apparent what an ambitious undertaking it was  - a cast of more than 20, written to span three generations including song and dance and additional projected media as lives of celluloid stars were also portrayed on screen. The imagination which went into the numbers made for great viewing and the choreography was well considered and performed.  The show was also beautifully scored, treating us to evocative show tunes such as Broadway Baby and tunes popular back along such as Lollipop and Surprise, Surprise. 

The crew did an excellent job, helped in part by the cast and nicely blended into character. Each transition from Aldwich to whichever audition venue or home it was representing was smooth. The costumes were beautifully planned and curated – I loved the various changes the residents of Aldwych had, each perfect for the character. The effects, sound, lighting and projection were smooth and very creatively selected. This was a very tight team. 

Congratulations TIPPS what a great show!!

Katie Jones

NODA 

 

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performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

 

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