Summer Showcase

Play One – The Shop

It’s just an ordinary day in the Charity Shop for Elsie and Margaret, with new customers and old friends. But they discover that one visit in particular was very special and will never be forgotten. The two elderly volunteer shop assistants – Elsie (Liz Forrest) and Margaret (Elizabeth Levy) were a good comic pairing and portrayed expertly the typical small town, gossipy volunteers found throughout the country – hearts of gold but still able to deliver a cutting remark when necessary! Tim Roberts as retired military man Charlie – a regular visitor to the shop where he flirted mildly with the ladies and got a cuppy and biscuit in return – gave a strong performance playing a character well beyond his actual age. Strong support was given by Kirsty Williamson as snobbish customer Gloria and by Lewis Maitland as her camp friend Henry. Olivia Barrow and Elizabeth Hughes were convincing as youthful but disparaging customers. As the customers entered and exited the shop the door’s bell tinkled – but the more observant in the audience would have noticed that when Charlie made his second entrance supposedly in the afternoon it didn’t – a technical mishap? No the shop’s manager Alice (Heather Adams Officer) when she came to lock up broke the news to Elsie and Margaret that their old friend had collapsed and died suddenly that lunchtime. He had stopped by to say one final goodbye! The simple set comprising of rails of clothes, display stands and boxes and bags of second-hand goods was very convincing but not too cluttered leaving plenty of space for the actors to move freely about the stage. A well staged and delivered ensemble piece which the first night audience were onboard with from the start.

Play Two - Keeping Mum

Hetty nursed her Mum through a long illness, and now the old lady has died Hetty’s sisters Freda and Marion are there. Marion has come over from Spain for the funeral, but her companion Carlos, arouses suspicions. As do rumours about Hetty’s nursing. Played out on a set representing the 1960’s style living room of the deceased, complete with her open coffin, the relationship between the three sisters is brought under the microscope from reminiscences of happy family outings to stolen lovers and long held resentments. Lynn Zaccarini as the long suffering Hetty gave a tour-de force performance handling the comedy and the serious moments with equal ease. Her soliloquy in Scene Two, where she gave vent to her frustrations, was outstanding and you could hear a pin drop in the audience. Liz Forrest gave a beautifully comic depiction of the almost hypochondriacal Freda as she discussed her various ailments and tried to be the peacemaker between her two sisters. Her description of her one night of true passion – with a bus driver in the depot behind a bus – had the audience in hoots of laughter. Kirsty Williamson as Marion the youngest - and flightiest of the sisters – gave an excellent performance from her flamboyant entrance right through the gambit of emotions from love to anger to sadness. Tim Roberts as Carlos, was very convincing as Marion’s Spanish lothario who is not all he seems. Strong support was given by Freda Adams as elderly Aunt Ada and by Oscar Barnett as her caring Grandson Frank. The change of scene and time was cleverly handled by way of a Rev. I.M. Jolly style voice over depicting the funeral service of the old lady during the blackout. Congratulations to everyone involved - but especially the three leading ladies who carried the audience along with them on the journey of laughter and tears.

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