Shakers Re-Stirred

The scene was set at the entrance, where a cocktail waitress explained that, once ordered at the bar, our drinks would be brought to our seats. After studying the list—and mindful that I lived only half a mile away—I ordered a Blue Raspberry Martini and took my seat. Within minutes it arrived: so vividly blue that I wondered whether it might glow in the dark. It was delicious, and once I put aside any concerns about my teeth, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The audience, mostly women, settled back to be entertained—and we certainly were.

I was unfamiliar with the play, so I looked it up beforehand. I found that Shakers: Re-Stirred, by John Godber and Jane Thornton, is a sharp, fast-paced comedy drama about women working in a busy bar. Through humour, satire and multi-role performance, it highlights the pressures, sexism and economic realities faced by working-class women! All of which were clearly brought to life on stage. Set in the 80’s, a time when I spent quite a lot of time a wine bar myself, I was reminded of some long-forgotten memories which made me inwardly groan.

The four characters: Mel, Adele, Carol and Nicky were clearly established from the outset, with their individual stories gradually unfolding as the play progressed. As expected, their smiles (or, in Mel’s case, their absence) concealed anxiety and inner turmoil.

The women opened the play with an almost lyrical exchange that set the pace for the production. They moved between playing the waitresses and transforming into customers — often boorish, entitled 1980s yuppies or friends organising a birthday party, to name but a few. Their slick shifts between roles kept me engaged throughout, and the cast’s delivery was highly impressive; I would have struggled to remember which character I was meant to be, but they handled it with ease.

These parodies were extremely funny and very true to their era, thankfully, and hopefully, now behind us. While the bottom slapping, sexual innuendo and inappropriate language drew laughter, they were far from funny for the women being portrayed; the expectation that they simply put up with it raised all my feminist hackles.  Although, I do remember many moments in the ladies’ loo when a drunken friend would declare hopelessly unrequited love. This did make me chuckle and am grateful that those days are far behind me.

With four strong actresses on stage, the performance was compelling throughout.

Nikki Campbell played Adele with real heart. You could feel her broken spirit in the way she kept her head down and pushed through whatever was thrown at her, just trying to hang on to the job until her child was old enough for her to finally chase what she really wanted. It was a quietly powerful performance, full of emotion without ever slipping into melodrama.

Edie Harris played Carol as the clever one, using the job as a stepping stone toward the career she really wants, even if she’s not quite ready to take that leap yet. She had a great instinct for reading the room, stepping in to soften things whenever Mel and Adele clashed. And when she switched into the various customer roles, each one was cleanly defined and well executed, showing just how versatile her performance was.

Nicky is, on the surface, the most upbeat of the four waitresses, and Helen Mallett brings that brightness to life beautifully. She radiates warmth and cheer, slipping straight into the role of the people‑pleaser who’s always trying to keep things light. She’s also the one who’s cut ties, taken a risk, and is about to head off to work as a dancer on a cruise liner — a bold move, even though you can sense the doubts she keeps tucked away.

Her standout moment comes when she switches into Tracy, the 21‑year‑old birthday girl out celebrating in the bar. She’s hilarious — all the drunken excitement, the boy drama, the chaotic friendships. It’s the kind of behaviour everyone’s seen on a night out, especially if you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a club loo at closing time. Helen absolutely nails the way Tracy moves, talks, and spirals into messy disappointment, and the rest of the cast playing her friends were spot‑on too.

Mel must have been an absolute gift of a role for Lucy Brown. That dead‑pan face and those dry, cryptic one‑liners were gorgeous — she said exactly what everyone else was thinking, with zero illusions about the job or the customers. Lucy flipped between Mel and whichever customer she was playing with total ease, each one landing with sharp, cutting dialogue that the audience loved. And of course, all that sarcasm and toughness was covering something much softer underneath. The sadness she carries, and that desperate hope to be loved and looked after, gave her performance a real emotional punch. And to top it all off, her accent was spot‑on, that Mancunian drawl was the perfect match for the sharp wit she delivered. It added an extra snap to every line and made her dry humour land even harder.

I thoroughly enjoyed this play, and I must commend the ladies for their performances, they captured the era perfectly and brought every moment to life.

Louise Hickey MBE, Regional Representative district 1.

It is only relatively recently that Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS) became part of the NODA West Midlands family. In that short time, however, they have become an integral part of the district and enthusiastic supporters of NODA, demonstrating a genuine desire to become increasingly involved in all that the organisation has to offer.

The welcome at The Market Theatre simply cannot be faulted. This is not something reserved solely for visitors such as NODA representatives; I have witnessed the same genuine warmth being extended to everyone who walks through the doors. Such hospitality forms an important part of the overall theatre experience and should never be underestimated.

I attended Shakers on its opening night and, I have to say, it was certainly a very warm evening. Sally, the Society's Chair, commented that the heat had done little to discourage audiences. Quite the opposite, in fact, as we were able to enjoy the comfort of the theatre's air-conditioned auditorium.

Having ordered my interval drink, I took my seat, which could hardly have been more central had I chosen it myself. Fortunately, this caused no difficulty whatsoever when it came to my drinks prompt delivery before the curtain went up.

The set was simple yet highly effective. The centrally positioned bar, complete with stools, together with tables and chairs positioned downstage left and right, provided everything required for the action to unfold naturally. Its simplicity allowed the numerous scenes to flow seamlessly from one to another, supported by well-considered lighting throughout.

The four performers were rarely off the stage and demonstrated impressive versatility as they moved effortlessly between a wide range of characters and situations, from bar staff and customers to drunks, supermarket workers and many others described by Louise. The monologues delivered downstage were confident and well well-paced. Meanwhile, the remaining cast members positioned upstage remained fully engaged without ever drawing focus from the speaker, demonstrating stage awareness. It was evident throughout that this was a true ensemble production, with each performer contributing equally and no one seeking to dominate the performance.

Congratulations to everyone involved in another enjoyable evening of theatre. I look forward to returning to The Market Theatre again very soon.

Andy Brown, Regional Councillor. NODA West Midlands

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