Out of Focus

OUT OF FOCUS by Peter Gordon is set in a village hall where the unfortunate overbooking (by the nervous vicar’s wife) leads to an assortment of characters arriving at the village hall including an overbearing Brown Owl (in charge of a pack of unseen brownies), players ready for a badminton match, players for a panto rehearsal and a man determined to give a talk on steam locomotives. With that line up, what could possibly go wrong?   Throw in a bickering couple and you’ve got an evening of great comic potential.

The stage design which was well conceived and of high quality. It depicted a room in a village hall with various doors off to other parts of the hall.  The props were realistic and well used.   Cinderella’s carriage (intentionally too big to get through the door) was worth a special mention.

The costumes were in keeping with action. There was great attention to detail and the costumes for the panto were of the highest quality. 

The lighting was good and well controlled throughout. The sound was excellent with good use of comic interludes during the scene changes. Very effect use of car alarm.

With a cast made up of SP regulars and a couple of newcomers, the first Act set the scene, established the characters and confusion around the double booking and in the second Act we saw the panto come together and all the pitfalls facing the director, complete with a fine array of costumes for the panto performance.  This was an excellent example of ensemble acting and the whole cast were well rehearsed and confident. Under the direction of Tim Oliver, this was an evening of enthusiasm and energy that sent the audience home smiling. Another success for the Players. 

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