Sing While You're Winning/The Secret

'Sing When You're Winning'  by Mark  Rees -(directed by Elliott Papworth) is about a girls’ football team.

It's Cup Final Day, and the Blinkthorpe Trophy is up for grabs. The girls of Eckleston United are geared up ready for the titanic struggle. Unfortunately their goalie has been nicked for shoplifting. And that's only for starters!   

Obviously the word “teamwork” had been impressed on the young actors as this was what this whole play was about.  

The script did not allow the young ladies of Eckleston United much to get their teeth into as the majority of the required delivery was “one-liners” all of which was, in the main, well managed.  Projection could have better but considering there were several members of cast appearing on stage for the first time I thought they all did really well. 

Manager Billy played by Charlie Wilson had his work cut out trying to control his team who all chattered like magpies more interested in talking about what they would get up to after the game than their Manager’s tactics for winning but he was ably supported by his wannabe girlfriend Anita played by Charlie Shipp.  Thomas Wilson as Michael desperately trying to get a photograph of the girls in a state of undress also did well.  However for me, with excellent comic timing, Max Tulk as Spike has been added to my “watch list”.

The costumes were good, all the team wearing the same kit. Lighting and sound did all it needed too although I would have liked a few sound effects to enhance the atmosphere during the imaginary football match.  But well done to all involved an excellent first night performance from everyone,

‘The Secret' - A black comedy  by Joy Davis -directed  by Andy McGowan.

Three friends hire the local village hall to write a murder mystery. Their ideas are acted out and as their script develops so do the characters with Colonel Blaggard,  who is a bigamist,  turning into a blackmailed,  bible bashing, serial killer. With the body count rising by the minute, the police are called in to solve the murders but only add to the  mayhem!  

This play has a challenge of its own in that the actors have to act out the ideas of the three writers (Mary, Jo and Leah played by Rhiannon Hawkins, Laurel Beach and Elize Collins) who constantly change their minds.  This trio worked well together and very well done Elise who stood in at the last minute for the original Leah who was unable to do the show through illness.

Congratulations to Marcus Porter who played the murderous Colonel Blaggard.  He coped with all the scenarios thrown at him by the three writers with aplomb.  

Great support too from Lara Keen (Gloria) Rhapsody Rolfe (Jilly) and Ella Hayward (Milly/Tilly) who is another one for my “watch list”  My picking out only a few members of this large cast should in no way be assumed that the others actors were left wanting.  Black comedy is very difficult to do and the whole cast really did pull it off.  What was very impressive was the way all the dead bodies remained completely inert even when being ignominiously dragged off to what must have been an aircraft hanger size garden shed.  

Again for this play all technical aspects were very good.

It is lovely to see Young NOMADS has a wealth of talent coming through.  I will be interested to see the progress of many of the new members as, on this showing, we will see some very fine performers entertaining us in the future.

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