Season's Greetings

With no front tabs used at the beginning of this show, we were able to take our seats and peruse the complex set at our leisure.    One actor (Uncle Harvey) was already on stage, sitting watching a 'TV' which was not in fact on stage but on the fourth wall.

There was a staircase upstage centre, leading to a 'hall' centre, which led to the other 'rooms' of the house, which were denoted by cut off door-frames.  There was a lounge DS right, with armchair and aforementioned TV; a dining room DS left, with full sized dining table, sideboard etc.; an area US right for the Christmas tree, and an area US left which served as a hallway to the kitchen door.  There was a further area DS left on the forestage, which represented the front door and entrance hall.  All these rooms were authentically furnished and dressed and there was a large number of excellent props.

This play obviously calls for all these different rooms to be used, but this can create problems on such a small stage.  There were times when I felt that the actors were rather encumbered by the set, and restricted by it, rather than it enhancing the play as it should.  Much of the important action occurred upstage and this, together with a lack of projection at times caused lines to be lost.  Extending the set onto a full forestage may have helped with these issues, creating more space and bringing the action further forward.  Despite all this, the actors coped well with the difficulties that this play presented on this stage.

The opening and closing of doors and pulling of curtains was mimed, and this is a useful device on a set of this kind.  However, we did not get a sense of the door really being there, as mimes were acted casually at times, without consistency of handle height and door size.  The use of the auditorium as the entrance worked well, and Bernard's travelling back and forth through the audience to bring in his puppet theatre was a real crowd pleaser!

Lighting was fine, apart from when Rachel opened the 'curtains' in Act 2 (there would not have been any light from outside prior to 6am in mid-winter).  Sound effects were appropriate and on cue, with television noises and the remote control working well. 

Because actors were in different rooms there was a lot of time when actors were on stage but not involved in the action, and this was very well-performed, with all actors staying in character and appearing to be busy at all times.  Timing of moves and entrances/exits would have been a real challenge and was very impressive throughout.

This play is a real ensemble piece and this obviously experienced cast showed a good understanding of the script, working well as a team and giving a good sense of their various family relationships, tensions and crises.  The doomed puppet show was well performed and very funny, although it was a shame that Pattie had to go off stage to get the puppets.  The drunken scene around the dining table worked well, and the seduction scene under the Christmas tree was nicely performed with excellent timing of the sound effects (battery operated rabbit etc.) 

At times lines were lost when there was laughter from the audience (a common problem with such a funny script!).  The pace was generally good and would not have been unduly affected by allowing for laughter. There were necessary pauses and these were used to good effect.  Comedy lines were delivered earnestly and often underplayed, and this really enhanced the comedy value, as did the real sense of embarrassment from the various characters on Boxing Day.

Thank you for the invitation to this very entertaining and enjoyable production.

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