Stand and Deliver

Postponed and carried over from Summer 2020, now with a modified seating plan in the hall, but still a sell-out for the first performance of this group of Thursdays. And all present in the hall had expectations of great enjoyment and were not disappointed, how do they manage this feel-good atmosphere every year.

As expected, an original and complex story which showed off and exploited the talents and versatility of the group, all were in the spotlight at some point and contributing to the energy and attack of the action. From the programme notes: the year 1630, the value tulip bulbs escalating, friction between England and Holland, tension within Europe on trade and tariffs, smuggling the norm, and feelings fraught; so what has changed? Listen carefully to the very clever dialogue from this wordsmith as the politics unfold.

The technical team led by John Seymour up to their usual winning standard with sets for the Hall in Norfolk, and the quayside at Haarlem, and the Maid’s head Tavern, plus that coach which kept appearing on stage to be attacked on the highway.  Very well costumed by the sewing team, period and very colourful.  Gill Mellor and her fellow musicians of Zounds led the singing and dancing in strength, understand rehearsals on playing field with regulations.

Looking at the cast list, two years just swept away with a few new recruits added to the usual suspects, and we knew how much we would enjoy the evening of fun and laughter. All well-worked character studies from Martyn Scott as Lord Montague and wife Gail Woodhouse, with daughter Jess Tutt in the mix with Dave Buckley and Alison Mawson as a healer (and we were ahead with some of this dialogue), and the useless MP Le Strange of Mike O’Kane. And was Wilt from Dave Buckley trying to steal the laughs side with his ‘entrances’ routine? We were not disappointed as Steve Benson led the company in a rousing version of ‘Tulips from Amsterdam’, and accompanied by fellow Dutch diplomat Dave Long worked for the devious Carolus of Iain Mawson in the trade of tulips, and included in the plot his daughter Sam Duncan and the soothsayer from Sue Matthews. Nice voice from the sea captain Paul Fawcett in his ballad. And from the tavern led by Marjorie Davies and by Jane Temple as Victoria Turpin, we had the volcanic and dynamic song and dance and energy specialists in their red and black, the troupe of girls who demanded that we ‘Stand and Deliver’ as time after time the coach is robbed with enthusiasm.

The whole piece a real romp with laughs and song and dance and uplifting after all the lockdown, the only missing piece of the jigsaw from previous years was the ‘tap routine’ which could just not get into the rehearsal schedule in time with dress rehearsal the day after ‘lockdown release’, but we shall expect another time. An amazing evening to sweep away any moments of depression, and in the words of Disguised Highwayman Peter Franklin, this was a triumph to achieve and stage with such vitality. Hope the rest of the run goes as well.

 

 

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