See How They Run

Choosing which play to perform can be an onerous task for any amateur dramatic society and for St. Peter’s Hill Players it meant looking back to 1944 when this farce was first presented to the public. Could a present day audience relate to the content and style of writing?

The play is set in the vicarage at Merton-cum-Middlewick, where the earnest young vicar Lionel Toop (played by David Asher) lives with his wife Penelope, a feisty former actress (vivaciously played by Natalie Smith). As the vicar is preparing to leave to go to a meeting he has a visit from the local busy-body Miss Skillon, (played by Anthea Hardstaff) who has come to complain about his wife doing “her” job of arranging the flowers around the pulpit, and also she has been seen waving at soldiers and wearing trousers in public! Arriving on her bicycle, Miss Skillon is greeted by Ida, the cheeky housemaid (played by Verity Connor) who she instructs in a demeaning manner to place the cycle in the garage. Miss Skillon is hoping to see the vicar alone but before she can impart all this information, the vicar has to leave for his previously arranged meeting so she will have to seek another opportunity to make the vicar fully aware of his wife’s improper behaviour.

During the vicar’s absence Mrs Toop receives a phone call from L/CPL Clive Winton (played by Gus Sparrow) who has been “called-up” and is now stationed at a nearby military base; he and Mrs Toop have previously appeared on stage together in the Noel Coward play “Private Lives”. Clive suggests it would be great if they could meet up and talk over old times and Mrs.Toop agrees he should come over that evening. On his arrival, Penelope informs him that a local drama group is performing “Private Lives” nearby and they should go and see it. Clive says he would be contravening orders if he attended in uniform so Penelope suggests he changes into her husband’s second suit and wear one of his shirts and a dog-collar. Having done this, the pair re-enact the scene from “Private Lives” in which a couple come to blows. Whilst they are so engaged, Miss Skillon, who has returned unannounced, wrongly assumes she is witnessing Mr&MrsToop fighting. In trying to obtain a closer look Miss Skillon is accidentally struck and rendered unconscious. Coming round, Miss Skillon helps herself to a liberal amount of alcohol and passes out; when Ida later discovers her, she places her in a broom cupboard. On arriving home Lionel Toop is attacked by an intruder, a German who has escaped from a nearby POW camp, who dons the vicar’s clerical garb and leaves the dazed priest in an adjoining room, in his underpants.

 Arriving back after seeing the play, L/C PL Clive Winton finds his military uniform is not where he left it so he is forced to continue wearing Rev Toop’s clerical clothes. At this juncture Penelope’s uncle, the Bishop of Lax (solemnly played by Gary Cadwallader) arrives to stay the night as previously arranged as does Rev Arthur Humphrey (played by Jim Smee) who is to preach the Sunday sermon.  

The company now assembled at the vicarage included three genuine priests and two imposters, and what frantic farcical activity they generated. The action took place on a well-designed and sturdily constructed set which had several essential doors and the speed at which the actors moved through them indicated that much practice had been dedicated to these activities at rehearsals. As the speed of the chase increased a special guest joined in – it was none other than Bruce, a handsome Labrador retriever who was determined to outrun the human competitors and joined in with a much exuberance and joyous expression. It took the military approach of Sgt Towers (played by Nick Croft) to restore discipline and good order.

This cleverly written play had the audience in stitches from start to finish; congratulations to all who were involved in the production.

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