Par For The Course

This play, a comedy written by Peter Gordon, is set in a golf club and it could be any golf club in the land.  It is Captain’s Day but the Men’s Captain is indisposed so the Club Secretary decides to take over control of the event.  However, the Vice Captain, Lady Captain and the Secretary’s wife have other agendas and what follows is probably an everyday story of golf clubs.

A well-balanced six hander, the play is full of incidents and disasters that will all have occurred somewhere and, as a former golf club Secretary myself, I recognised all of the characters.  The pompous Secretary, Simon Weaver, well portrayed by David Hawxwell, always carried his notebook and professed to always work by the rules except, perhaps, when he carded a low score in the competition for the day.  Scott Roberts played Vice Captain Nick Armitage, who was not the typical person for the position, and I liked the way he played the non-conformist.  I really enjoyed the way Lorna Blake tackled the part of Nick’s girlfriend, Tiffany, who knew nothing about golf but was prepared to run the halfway house.  Sarah Knights was a very strong Lady Captain and Mike Acaster nicely portrayed the keen, but lacking, member, Barry West.  The unexpected arrival of the Secretary’s wife, Laura, added to the spice of the event and she was given a good characterisation by Helen Davison.

I liked the set which represented the outside of the clubhouse and, small things adding to the quality of the production, I was impressed with the handling of the mini hob to cook the sausages and the sound effect thereof.

Tensions built nicely during the play and, having recognised the characters, I was also reminded of most of the dramas which unfolded.

This was a very entertaining evening in the society’s 100 seater theatre.  I just hope I wasn’t as pompous as Simon!

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