None The Wiser

This was a lovely evening of one act plays at Preston Playhouse, staged to raise funds for the theatre, and it was good to see such a busy, supportive and appreciative audience. The Hall Players presented Anthony Booth’s None the Wiser, a short comedy set in the late 1960s, centred around a group of women posing as nuns while running a successful shoplifting racket. Their carefully maintained disguise is put under pressure when two nuns arrive seeking accommodation, bringing with them the possibility that not everyone is quite what they seem.

Anthony Booth’s script is a light comedy with an amusing farcical premise. The idea of shoplifters hiding behind the respectability of convent life gives the piece an immediate comic hook, while the arrival of unexpected visitors provides the necessary disruption to move the story forward. The dialogue offers opportunities for humour, confusion and mild tension as the characters try to maintain appearances. Structurally, the play is straightforward and accessible, and while it is not a piece built around emotional depth, it depends strongly on pace, timing and believable comic relationships.

The cast worked well as an ensemble, bringing commitment and good humour to the play’s comic situation. Each performer created her part clearly, ensuring that the women were never simply stock comic nuns, but distinct characters with their own quirks and intentions. Rachael Cottle gave Sister Jean a feisty and worldly quality, suggesting a woman far less innocent than her habit implied. Debbie Burns made Sister Edith practical and dryly observant, adding a steady comic presence. Suzie Evans brought brightness and mischief to Sister Susan, while Beth Hamilton gave Sister Bess the right sense of comic unreliability. As Sister Vera, Gill Kerry provided quiet authority and control, keeping order among the chaos. Diana Jackson and Hannah Allen, as Sisters Angela and Rose, created an effective contrast as the apparently gentle visiting nuns whose calmness added to the play’s tension between appearance and reality.  The characterisations were clear, and there was a sense that everyone on stage understood the tone of the play and worked together to support the comedy.

Angela Ross directed the production in a way that kept closely to the original concept of the script. The late 1960s setting and comic situation were clear, and the production allowed the audience to understand the farcical setup without unnecessary complication. The interpretation was traditional and straightforward, which suited the nature of the piece and made it easy for the audience to engage with the story. Directing a one act play as part of a shared evening brings its own challenges. With several societies involved, limited time for setting up, changing over and adapting to the same performance space, it can become a logistical juggling act. Angela handled this well, giving her cast a clear framework in which they appeared comfortable and confident. There was a real sense of teamwork on stage, the story was easy to follow, and the production had a friendly community quality which suited both the play and the spirit of the evening.

The production made good use of the stage overall, with some nicely arranged moments within the playing space. One small area for future development would be encouraging even more natural actor-to-actor connection during longer exchanges. There were occasional moments where a performer moved downstage to deliver lines more directly outwards, when the dialogue was intended for another character on stage. This gave those moments a slightly more traditional, presentational feel and briefly interrupted the natural flow of conversation. With a little more confidence in projecting while still staying connected to the person being addressed, these exchanges would feel even more relaxed and spontaneous. It did not affect the audience’s enjoyment, but it is a useful area to build on in future productions.

The set was simple but effective and gave the performers a clear space in which to play the action. For this type of evening, the uncluttered approach worked well and allowed the focus to remain on the characters and situation. The props, overseen by Sue Ascroft, supported the production appropriately without overcomplicating the staging. The use of fake cigarettes was particularly effective and added nicely to the comedy, as there was something very incongruous and amusing about a group of supposed nuns casually lighting up throughout the piece.

The lighting was straightforward and entirely suitable for this style of production. It supported the action clearly and allowed the audience to see the performers throughout. Credit should go to the wider evening’s technical team, including Al-Yasa Khan, Dan McVittie and Anthony Leadbetter, for supporting the event with sound and lighting.

The performers were not amplified, but this was not an issue. Projection was good across the cast, and everyone could be heard clearly. Pete Dewdney’s work on sound was well judged, with the few sound effects used being timed perfectly and adding neatly to the comedy without distracting from the dialogue.

The costumes, by Jan Winder, Carol Buckley and Lilian Eastham, helped establish the central joke of shoplifters pretending to be nuns. The habits made the premise clear and supported the comic idea of the piece. A little more attention to the finish and uniformity of the headpieces would have strengthened the overall visual effect, although the slightly imperfect appearance could also be read as fitting for characters who are only pretending to be nuns. The audience quickly accepted the visual idea and responded warmly to the humour of the situation.

The audience was engaged throughout, with plenty of laughter and an appreciative atmosphere in the theatre. It was lovely to see such a busy house for an evening raising funds for Preston Playhouse, and the response showed how much the audience appreciated both the entertainment and the purpose of the occasion.

Overall, None the Wiser was a light, good-humoured contribution to a very enjoyable fundraising evening. The production had a warm community feel and was performed with commitment and enthusiasm. The Hall Players offered the audience an accessible and enjoyable comedy that was clearly appreciated on the night.

 

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