Playing Up

My first visit to Blakeney Players and their purpose-built village hall, largely designed around their needs – and what an impressive amenity for a Norfolk village to have.  Conversation with a local resident in the bar beforehand was lively and interesting and entering the main hall itself I was struck with the size of the stage and proscenium arch, later used to full purpose. A warm welcome from the Chair, Peter Franklin, and colleagues set the tone for the evening, which was the opening night of a run of four Thursdays plus a supper show.

This was an original script by author and director Lavinia Finn and is concerned with a repertory company putting on a musical, ‘Murder the Musical’ set in the 1920s; this gave the director and cast full licence to explore both character and music over the evening.  A striking set greeted us as the curtains opened and this was able to change seamlessly throughout the evening using the professional level sliding flats and some able design work. Erica Roch as designer with John Seymour (Stage Manager) and his construction team and assistants did an accomplished job.

The lighting was effective throughout, (Tim McMonagle), despite the occasional dark patch downstage left and the sound quality was splendid, operated tirelessly by Pete Yetman.

And so we got our first sight of the Dream On singers and dancers in the well of the hall having a ‘natter’ and silencing the audience.  From there we had the first of many songs, Stop! In the Name of Love energetically delivered to set the tone of the evening.  Erica Roch playing Lizzie Potts as the Duchess was suitably common and coarse supported by her maid and housekeeper played by Sam Duncan and Beth Steadman.  The suave Burton Richards (Babyface Malone) was effortlessly carried by Iain Mawson playing off his sometime lover and feisty sweetheart, Bubbles (Alison Mawson).  David Buckey looked the part as ‘Legs’ and was quietly intimidating supported by Brandon Harmer as ‘Knuckles’ the Bodyguard while  Graham Colombé playing Max and ‘Fingers’ was suitably deadpan in hat and dressing gown!

There were a few prompts and a brief point of uncertainty early on, but the cast continued unfazed and we were treated to Nancy Sinatra and Buddy Holly numbers.  Dave Long as Tony Crystal had a quietly impassive stage presence and we all loved his Willy Nelson rendition of All the Girls (and boys!) I’ve loved Before and the hilarious start to Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

The ensemble numbers were carried along with exuberance with the centrepiece of the Dream On singers all absolutely loving their roles and showing it.  Congratulations to the choreographers of Jane Temple and Michelle Cobbett who worked well with the cast with minimum uncertainty on the group numbers.  The band played with great gusto, on occasion threatening to swamp the singers, but what treat to have a live band playing along.

Almost the entire cast sported wigs which complimented the excellent costumes and to visual enjoyment of the show, so well done to Lavinia, Maureen Buckey and Cathy Parsons-Sinker.

I would note that the second half of the play increasingly became a vehicle for the songs and (for me) I think the plot got a bit lost. That didn’t matter to the enjoyment though as the big numbers of Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Reach for the Stars rounded off a very entertaining evening.

My thanks for the post-show tour of backstage and hall facilities, very much appreciated.

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