Suite Surrender

The play is set in the Palm Beach Royale Hotel, in the luxury Presidential Suite, which is mistakenly allocated to two famous singers, who it appears are sworn enemies. They then must be kept apart in separate bedrooms by their overworked secretaries and the harassed hotel staff, leading to many comic incidents, including the constant changes of flowers, luggage and photos.

The set was opulent and a good representation of the art deco period, care had been taken to dress it appropriately too. One thought – backing flats or even a curtain would have improved the view of the hall wall behind the double doors!

The set was brightly lit. There were one or two synchronizing hitches with the sound cues and the actor’s actions, but it was opening night after all! Perhaps too some additional dog barks would have added to the plot? No personal mics were used so the cast needed to project, which was mostly well achieved.

The costumes were colourful, glamorous and portrayed the era well. Props were also well thought out. Perhaps the dog could have been bigger, although meant to be a toy breed of course, it wasn’t really visible enough to the audience.

The direction was animated (perhaps a little too much so at times, a bit like watching a tennis match!) and the timing in and out of doors etc was good.

A slow pace and cue bite at first, but this improved during the second Act. The director, Ros Shepherd, is to be congratulated as her cast portrayed some well-drawn characters, consistent throughout. Of particular note were the performances of Steve Taylor (Bernard S Dunlop), Paul Cuttle (Mr Pippet), David Burroughs-Parke (Francis) and Caroline Ebsworth (Claudia McFadden). 

Well done to all at Hook Players for providing the local community with an enjoyable evening of entertainment on a dark winter’s night. Certainly worth venturing out for!

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