The Dresser

After a year of being “Strolling Players” and appearing at various venues, The Grange Players were once again back home in The Playhouse. For their production of “The Dresser” The foyer was alive with chatter and old friends greeting each other as if we had never been apart. When the audience was seated we were given a potted history of all that had happened in the past year and a promise of what was to happen to the building in the future to ensure that The Playhouse would continue for many years.

The Players have lost none of their magic touch in presenting the best in theatre for their audience. Good to see Players stalwart Paul Viles in a leading role as the actor playing King Lear but the honours for the production have to go to Richard Ham and his role of Norman, The Dresser. He was word perfect.

The play by Ronald Harwood had been inspired by his memories of his years working at dresser to Donald Wolfit. I’m sure many people will remember that the play had been made into a film starring Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney.

It tells the story of the ageing actor struggling to keep a hold on his life and his mind and his dresser who has been there for the past 16 years ensuring that everything is in order and that the reputation of “Sir” is not damaged. There were many dark moments as Sir descended further into his distraught mind but there were also many lighter moments and laughs to keep the action moving along.   

The play was well cast. Julie Lomas playing the wife who was all too aware of what was happening to Sir. Madge (Stephanie Evans), Irene (Lauren Brown), Geoffrey (David Stone) and Mr Oxenby (Carl Horton) together with the off-stage cast performing the play acted and bounced the words around and kept the play moving along. At times poor Sir was such a pitiful sight and so obviously distressed that tears were not far below the surface from the audience. At these times Norman sought refuge with his hip flask and bolstered Sir and convincing him that he must appear and the show must go on.

A good multipurpose set showing dressing room, corridor and entrance to the theatre stage and the props, costumes and sound all reinforced that Grange Players have not lost their touch to entertain the audience. 

 

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