Outside Edge

First things first. This production was a delight. Indeed the whole evening was. Hospitality of the highest quality.

A play about cricket that really had nothing to do with the game itself. A group of male characters with little in common save for their love of the great game. In the case of the women it’s the men they love, and perhaps mistrust on occasion.  It’s a play that holds a mirror up to the audience. I recognised myself too many times for comfort.  As an exercise in assessment of personality types the play could be a set book on a psychology course as well as a very funny piece of theatre. It’s a satire of sorts but as one who loves cricket I won’t go there. But it is, of course, a very funny play and here it was executed with considerable skill and energy.

Set, lighting costumes, props and sound all first class. I have spent many a rainy afternoon in such pavilions. The use of the auditorium as the field of play gave one a feeling that there really was a game going on outside the pavilion and the off stage scoreboard was used to great effect. It was well crafted and thought out. It was pacey, never lagged for a second and the play just flew by.

The diction of the actors was excellent. Too often, if sans hearing aid, I miss things. Here it was crisp, clear and not a word lost.

The characterisation was excellent. Believable and true. I’ve meet them all. Not a weak performer on the stage and whilst I hesitate to single anyone out for Roger and Miriam to carry their bats throughout the innings was a considerable feat of concentration and stamina. I really believed that Mim loved Ivor Novello. My wife would have throttled Roger. Insensitive and inadequate. Seemingly compensating for all his apparent shortcomings by sublimating all his energies into his cricket team. Maggie was hilarious. It’s a fabulous part but you have to keep it real to get the laughs and she was true to that maxim. Indeed that was true across the cast. There was no falling over backwards trying to be funny. The script, the situations and the truthfulness of the characters do that.

The wicket got sticky, the ball starting spinning, skies were darkening, and not just with rain clouds but with chickens coming home, the batting order collapses and all sorts of truths were revealed.

A thoroughly entertaining piece, skilfully directed, produced and executed.

Thank you.

Jeff Hill.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.