The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of Macbeth

The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of Macbeth (surely one of the longest titles for a play) depicts a group of very sincere, perhaps misguided, Guild Ladies performing Shakespeare’s Macbeth for a competition, in the presence of an adjudicator.

How many times have thespians heard “it will be right on the night”. Only this night proves the exception to the rule: whatever can go wrong does and the ensuing chaotic way the “ladies” deal with each situation is what we witness.

If you take an amateur drama group with aspirations in a different league to their talent, a missing Lady Macbeth, props that don’t work – or work too well and too often – and you get the gist of what happens. Is this due to the “curse of the Scottish play”?

A monologue by Mrs Reece — gloriously embodied by Claire Henson — opens the evening with all the pomp of a headmistress addressing morning assembly. As President and Chairman of the Farndale Avenue Dramatic Society, she paints a picture of the theatrical triumph she hopes to deliver… although the cracks begin to show almost immediately.

We quickly learn that Minnie (Marian Green), tonight’s Banquo, has lost her voice; the actress playing Lady Macbeth has nipped to the chemist and got on the wrong bus so won’t be back in time; and the set of arches representing Cawdor Castle have been erected both backwards and in the wrong order. A promising start – not.

Henry (Nick Barber), the Stage Manager is strong-armed into playing Lady Macbeth. Not only does he maintain a surprisingly convincing lady’s voice throughout, but he also navigates a towering conical headdress with heroic precision. Watching him glide through those arches without once getting hooked was a comedy triumph in itself.

The adjudicator, Mr Peach (Teagan Jimenez), introduced repeatedly — and increasingly inaccurately — by the formidable Mrs Reece, spends most of the show perched stoically at the side of the stage. It’s no small feat to sit in full view for so long while pretending to be deeply invested in the chaos unfolding before you, but Teagan managed it with admirable commitment. Every time I glanced over, he was suitably engrossed.

Thelma (Michaela Clement-Hayes), playing Macbeth dominates every scene as she valiantly tries to remain concentrated whilst everything disintegrates. Upstaging everyone with her highly focused facial expressions, whilst others were losing it, just highlighted the comedy. In her other role as Ross, Michaela swapped her accent to one of such thick Yorkshire that I was half expecting Sean Bean to appear with a cup of tea. Wonderful.

Sophie Thomas, Vicki Roberts and Kira Kogarashi played the three witches as well as a variety of other roles with gusto. Each, in their own ways, added much comedy to the production and looked as if they were relishing what they were doing. False noses in the wrong scenes, becoming virtually blind after losing glasses, being pushed around the stage in a wheelchair that only just fitted through the arches, just some of the more comedic moments. I particularly liked the dance section to Michael Jackson’s Thriller and also the three hander that was stuck in a “script loop”.

Banquo’s death scene was certainly not what the bard had intended. I wonder what he would have thought of it?

When Mr.Peach announced there was only time for another nine minutes to finish the performance, the players had another 3 hours in mind!!! Step forward Mr Plummer (Ross Green) the Producer. He breathlessly then attempted to fast-read the remaining script whilst, amongst the waffle, managed to convey some of the salient words before curtly announcing “blackout” – all within the time limit.

At the end of “the performance” came Mr Peach’s assessment.  Now changed to be in full drag - apparently, he was going for a night out in Northampton when he had concluded his speech - he delivered an appraisal so bizarrely off‑kilter it felt entirely in keeping with the Farndale spirit.

Karen Croshaw’s direction certainly made the most of all the comedic moments, and there were a lot of them – not all from the cast as the behind-the-scenes team played their part magnificently as well. Chaos, as the script demanded, well timed and full-on.

Although the scenery was just three arches and an adjudicator’s area the whole setting worked perfectly. It was enhanced by all the extras like the moon crashing down at odd moments and swords appearing from the wings at the wrong times during a fight scene.

Costumes were very good, in fact possibly a little too good, considering everything else “the guild” had a hand in. The props I thought were more in keeping with “the guild’s” abilities.

To borrow from the programme: “This glorious theatrical catastrophe requires absolute commitment from everybody involved.” And indeed, “The art of chaos is nowhere as easy as it looks.”

A huge well done to everyone involved in delivering such a riotous, joyful, meticulously crafted mess.

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