Our Country's Good

This was Faringdon Dramatic Society's thought-provoking production of this modern classic - Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker. The company provided an enjoyable evening's entertainment telling the story of the difficulties facing both the convicts and the officers in the first Australian penal colony established in 1789. The play is a powerful piece of drama depicting the attempts of The Governor to bring a degree of civilisation to the colony through the vehicle of a play to be performed by some of the convicts under the direction of one of his junior officers.Directed by the talented and inventive Carolyn Taylor the cast brought their various diverse characters very much to life. The pace was good and cues were largely picked up quickly. The performance being in the round meant that often characters were facing away from certain members of the audience but projection and the clarity of dialogue was good. Also the scenes far from being static flowed well so as to keep the actors ‘on the move’ and thus engage with the audience effectively. I was impressed with the characterisations with many moments of pathos, comedy and great story telling.This was a most interesting and entertaining evening of drama from this dedicated and resourceful company who had gone a little out of their comfort zone to produce a compelling and polished piece of theatre. Congratulations to all involved. I look forward to your next production with anticipation.

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