STAR QUALITY

The show is Christopher Luscombe's adaptation of an unproduced Noel Coward play, which Coward had derived from his own 1951 short story. This shows a nervous young writer,Bryan Snow, who was passionate about his play. He is batted around like a shuttlecock by the giant egos of his newplay's star, Lorraine Barrie, and its uncompromising director, Ray Malcolm. Initially bombarded with praise, the writer soon finds he has stepped into a battlefield. After the first read-through, the star demands rewrites. During rehearsals, the director's boyfriend suggests a new ending. The director butters up thestar before criticizing her technique and mannerisms. 

The members of the cast playing Lorraine Barrie, Ray Malcolm,Bryan Snow and Marion Blake were excellent and played strong and convincing parts. There were some good comedic quips from Tony Orford. We did sometimes struggle to hear some of the cast, as they were not facing the audience but talking to each other on stage. Some also spoke too fast and lacked clarity. 

Costumes and makeup were great with Lorraine wearing some eye catching outfits and the men in 1950’s suits. The scenery was effective and I did like the stage hands working as part of the play. I particularly enjoyed the scene in Lorraine’s dressing room with a clever costume change. Well done to all the supporting roles in this production. 

Overall a good performance which the audience enjoyed. A lovely evening of entertainment. Thank you for inviting me.

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