Something about Love / A Phoenix too Frequent

This was my first visit to this venue having been asked to attend by District 4 Representative Matt
Hampson. Set on the first floor of a listed building in Newcastle Emlyn , what a lovely space. This
evening the company were performing two plays.

Play One

Something about Love

Written by Melanie Davies.

Directed by Kay Margerison and Melanie Davies

This was a new piece written by Melanie Davies who also helped direct and appeared in the play.
The play looked at bereavement and love in an unusual way, with all three actors playing dual roles
in the play. It included sections of mime, rear projection and some dancing with all three actresses
remaining onstage throughout, with the three characters ageing backwards as the play progressed.

Melanie Davies ( Tutor A and Ann ) Deborah Messenger ( Tutor B and Brenda.) and Lorri Corrigan (
Tutor C and Cathy) performed admirably in difficult roles, with differing accents which were well
achieved. The teamwork was obvious, and even though I felt the pace of the play dropped at times,
especially during the factory mime, all the team are to be congratulated on their performance.

I did like how the passage in time was played on the rear projection with different slides and
photographs.

Well done all.

Play Two

A Phoenix too Frequent

Written by Christopher Fry

Directed by John Franks.

In a totally different genre, the second play of the evening was one written in 1946 by Christopher
Fry. The play was written in blank verse and is not one I had seen previously. The play centres
around a widow Dynamene who gradually finds her attraction to a young soldier Tegeus,outweighing her desire to join her dead husband. It is set in a crypt and is set in Ancient Greece.

Semele Xerri played the role of Dynamene and she should be congratulated as the character did not
leave the stage once throughout the play. I liked the way she interperated the character and looked
very much a noblewoman in her lovely costume.

James Hancock Evans took the role of the soldier, initially very cynical guarding dead bodies, but as
the play developed seeing the character mellow and fall for Dynamene, nicely done.

However the performance of the evening for me was by Lou Weldon who took the role of
Dynamene’s servant Doto.

This was a lovely performance, I was impressed by her comedy timing and characterisation. Well
Done and Congratulations.

In a difficult and wordy play the three actors are to be complimented for all their hard work.
Thank you Attic Theatre for your welcome and best wishes for the future.

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