The Last of the Pelican Daughters

Firstly, welcome to NODA! Nantwich Players presented ‘The Last of the Pelican Daughters’, as part of their Studio initiative. Nantwich Players Studio was launched in 2018, as a way of bringing innovative studio plays to their audiences. Primarily performed in a black box setting, they aim to provide stimulating evenings of drama and comedy alongside the usual season of main house plays. Directed by the company, this was very much an ensemble piece. What was pleasing to see was the development of each individual character – each had their own personality traits. As well as portraying the daughters, the four sisters also played mum in different moments. The relationships between each of the sisters and their mum were clearly drawn out and could resonate with the audience. The pace of the production was great, and the performers allowed moments of quiet and stillness, which has great impact on the production. This was a poignant production, exploring how grief affects different people. Costumes were well thought of and helped further emphasise the different personalities of each character. The red dressing gown representing mum worked well as part of the production. It was clear from the outset that if a character wore the dressing gown, they were portraying mum.

Technical aspects were well integrated into the production. The projections throughout were cued accurately and helped move the story along. Sound was good throughout and cued well, especially the record player. Lighting was also of a good standard. The green lighting for when Storm and Dodo were in the garden helped evoke location.

Hope Brownhill played Joy Pelican, the eldest of the Pelican daughters. This was a good performance from Hope, who was clearly defined as the eldest daughter. There was a strong and believable relationship formed with Jonathan. The audience could feel the love between them, but could also feel the strain in the relationship. The drunk scenes were well performed by Hope, never going over the top.

Jenny Berrisford played Storm Pelican. Jenny’s monologue using the kitchen utensils when describing how she was feeling was beautifully done. It was heartfelt, and showed Storm’s love for her mother, but also her anger that she gave up her life to care for her. It was delivered sensitively by Jenny and you could feel the emotion. Jenny also delivered some great comedic moments, such as the scene in the garden.

Holly Jones impressed as Sage Pelican. This was a strong performance from Holly and your eyes were drawn to her throughout. Holly formed excellent relationships with the rest of the cast, especially the sisters. It was clear through Holly’s performance how much Sage was effected by her mum’s death and how important the tradition of the cake was. Her scene when waiting for the others to join her in the bedroom was emotionally powerful.

Sophie Reeder played the youngest sister, Maya Pelican. This was another good performance from Sophie. It was clear how different she was to the other sisters, and how her relationship with her mum differed to the other relationships. There was a good relationship formed with Richard, which was totally believable as the loved up couple. The audience could feel the nervousness at the announcement of Maya’s pregnancy, which was down to Sophie’s performance.

Jonathan Everitt played Derren, Joy’s husband. This was a good supporting performance from Jonathan, playing the straight man against the four sisters. Jonathan worked well with Hope, creating a good relationship with her, as they played the trials and tribulations of this married couple.

At this performance, Richard Senior played Dodo, Maya’s new boyfriend. This was an enjoyable performance from Richard, who fully embodied the hippie-like character of Dodo. From the voice to the costume, it worked really well for the character. His closing remarks were suitably scathing and delivered very well.

Seb Jamson-Smith played Granny’s carer, Lara, as well as the brother, Luke. Two different characters that were well performed by Seb. As Lara, Seb was caring towards Granny. As Luke, Seb got to show a different side, as the black sheep of the family. His scene with Granny was well performed and allowed the audience to fully understand the character.

Hilary Cummings played Granny and Solicitor. Again, two different characters played well by Hilary. Her performance as Granny was probably the stronger of the two, with well-timed interjections. As mentioned, the scene between Hilary and Seb was nicely performed by both. As Solicitor, Hilary delivered her speeches well with purpose, getting a deserved round of applause for her closing speech.

Overall, this was a very good production. The relationships created were believable, especially of the four sisters, there was great ensemble work, and each individual character had been convincingly drawn out.

A big thank you to everyone at Nantwich Players for their kind invite and hospitality. All the best for your next production.

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