Shakers

I was delighted to be invited to review Shakers on behalf of your Drama Rep Sue Cox also your Chair and prompt. The writers of Shakers base the production around 4 waitresses at a cocktail bar. Not what you may think that it is simply based round them talking small talk but not at all, this is a cleverly devised script performed through the eyes of the waitresses as they recreate various customers and situations as witnessed by themselves.

Denys Edwards Players are a well established theatre company having purchased their own rehearsal and workshop facility. Over many years performing to Sheffield audiences mainly in the Library Theatre along with the Crucible Studio and now in 2024 venturing to Dronfield Civic. Their facilities provide the ideal setting for rehearsing with the sets and furniture prior to arriving at theatre allowing the performers the time to develop shaping and spacing during the rehearsal process. 

The writers John Godber and Jane Thorton take real life situations with the general public when being customers at a cocktail bar. They explore the good and bad, arrogant and polite, loud and rude, and turn all these customer situations into a series of sketches making up the play, Shakers.

The audience arrived to an open stage, a well designed cocktail bar, counter and bottles, two tables and chairs positioned to either side of the stage, gold tablecloths, coat stands and palms .The plays is fast moving and requires clever movement , this was achieved throughout under the guidance of your director Mark Harris. With four extremely capable actors he provided the ideas to perform so many linked sketches, clothing changes, simplistic set changes, and the many and varied characterisations the actors delivered. As the play evolved from scene to scene I really enjoyed the four ladies lined up and then the finger clicking, ‘ TING ‘ when moving between sketches. This was truly made memorable from the clever choice of musical interludes allowing the performers time to alter their clothing and sets. To name but a few, Working 9 to 5 , Girls just wanna  have fun, Working as a Waitress in a Cocktail Bar, I Want to Break Free, Sweet Dreams are Made of This , Sisters Doing it for Themselves and the iconic Benny Hill music . These pieces of music cleverly interlinked the scenes really well. 

And now to the four extremely talent actors, Carol by Kate Parkin, Adele by Ellen Halliday, Nicki by Kate Spivey and Mel by Ria Westhead. I can only refer to you all as the ‘Magnificent Four’ . Your performances throughout were delivered with clarity, poise, excellent interactions with each other along with the asides to the audience. The volume of costume changes switching from you Cocktail Bar Black and White and then simply adding a jacket, a coat, a hat or cardigan seamlessly moved you through the scenes. The total array of accents from you all, changing from stiff upper lip, to brash, to rough and ready to happy go lucky were consistently delivered well. During the play you all had a monologue to deliver, all done to the highest standard with varying topics culminating in the final one from Nicki . I felt the outstanding standard you all achieved was summed up by the total silence from the audience during that final monologue. An excellent piece of theatre directed and performed to the highest order. 

I wish you all success with your remaining shows and trust more people will attend this not to be missed play. 

Thank you for the hospitality throughout the evening

 

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