Season's Greetings

Alan Ayckbourn an Olivier and Tony Award winning playwright has written more than 80 plays, many of which have been produced in London's West End and New York as well as around the world. “Season’s Greetings” was first produced in 1980 in his home town prior to transferring to London and in brief is described as a family gathering at Christmas which exposes family animosity, whilst a new guest arouses differing passions.

Behind that brief summary, several relationships unfold during a four-day period over Christmas, with some hilarious results and these are fully captured by the cast. Neville & Belinda are hosting the celebrations and they are convincingly played by Bill Wilks and Poppy Savage. It is clear that Neville would rather be in his man-cave mending broken presents than helping with preparations and the strain between them is telling, particularly when a rather nervy socially awkward writer guest Clive played by Laurence Smith arrives and  is immediately attracted to Belinda. Their end of act 1 ‘love scene’ is hilarious.

Meanwhile Neville’s exhausted sister Phyllis and her husband Bernard, a doctor whose annual but incompetent puppet shows are the stuff of legend, are superbly played by Ben Swift and particularly Helen Broadfield with great comedy timing. Broadfields first entrance and tipsy scene at the table are superb.

Neville’s friend Eddie and his wife Pattie well played by Will Raggett and Gemma Matthews, also feel the strains of Christmas; Eddie struggling for employment and general enthusiasm, whilst Pattie is heavy with child. Meanwhile Belinda’s unmarried sister, Rachel also played well by Kerry Horne explains to guest Clive she does not have romantic feelings for him - which she later regrets and at one point breaks down when Clive hopes they remain just friends.

The impressive set depicted three main playing areas; the lounge, dining room and hall and when action was simultaneous between the puppet show rehearsal in the lounge and snakes and ladders in the dining room, the timing of the dialogue and use of props was excellent.

Completing this excellent cast is Uncle Harvey (Iain MacKenzie), a rather forthright retired security guard with a love of firearms, who mistaking Clive for an intruder early one morning, shoots him. Pretty well everyone had at some point extended pieces of dialogue which were very well handled and in many instances the dialogue was so fluid, some sentences were naturally unfinished, as cues were picked up superbly.  There wasn’t a week link in the cast and all contributed to the comedy throughout with some excellent timing. Congratulations to director Nigel Hales and all involved.

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