Second to Last in the Sack Race

This play by Michael Birch is taken from the first of David Noble’s novels about Henry Pratt. It encompasses 30 scenes and in this production the 26 characters were played by 10 members of the company.

Henry, although a loser, partly of his own making and partly by force of circumstance, always manages to accept his place in life and bounces back ready to face the world again. From boyhood to National Service Steve Coward physically looked the part and portrayed his character with sympathy and understanding. Elaine Demaine gave a strong performance as Cousin Hilda who never quite acts on the good causes she espouses. Laurence Hayward (Uncle Teddy whose business is not all it seems) and Sheila Halse (Aunty Doris who tries to ‘keep up appearances’ but whose mouth often got the better of her) are stalwarts throughout.

The five remaining members of the cast changed characters frequently and I particularly enjoyed Katie Steele in the tiny part of the tram conductress and Michael Wing as the drunken magician and later as Lampo Davy. Everyone was to be commended on keeping up the pace of this multi scene script, together with the songs of the era, which cemented the time changes.

 I did think that Henry’s house looked a little too well cared for, more a small semi rather than ‘sub standard housing with the loo down the yard past the midden’!! However the comedy and the pathos of this young man’s life were well portrayed.

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