The Midnight Raiders

The Midnight Raiders -  This historical drama takes place in an old inn on the Kent Coast in 1817 following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The events of the play surround the practice of causing ships to flounder on the Goodwin Sands with groups of local ‘fishermen’ trying to salvage from the wrecked ships.  This practice was illegal with the culprits frequently being hanged for their crimes.

Yet again I wanted to applaud the set when the curtains opened.  Mike Smith and his crew always produce an excellent set.  Creative, functional and most striking including the ‘cellar’.  The set was very well dressed with enough bits and pieces to make it functional without any unnecessary items. All the props were well chosen and handled.  (Yes I know I wrote that last time!)  The lighting was excellent – flickering fires and candle lanterns as well as spots and areas of the stage highlighted.  Sound effects were first-class including the sound of the waves crashing during the storm every time the door opened.  Such attention to detail is indicative of this group’s approach to a production.  Every member of the cast was dressed as befitted their role from landlady to gentlewoman, from fisherman to gentleman all were correctly dressed from top to toe including boots. Mad Meg certainly added colour to an otherwise black and grey palette.

The director, Steve Smith, is to be congratulated upon enabling the actors to create this exceedingly well executed play.  The timings, the diction, the accents were all spot on and the cast worked very well together putting the space available to good use.  Each person in the cast developed the characterisation of their part to great effect to the point where one believed in them and really got drawn into the drama. Diane Stahlman in the role of Anna Higgins, the innkeeper, came over as a woman with a dominant manner and she maintained that character the whole time no mean feat considering she was hardly ever offstage.

Guy Worthington played by David Palman was played very confidently with just an air of arrogance. He most effectively kept the pace up.   The landlady’s ‘simple’ son  played by Craig Entwistle made a good pair with  Mike Davenport in the role of Thomas Thompson who was also a little simple and guileless.  Neale Winter played fisherman and smuggler Jacob Turley who had quite a range of strong emotion when he became aggressive.  The contrasting characters of Marioan Langwathby, Alice Smith and Mad Meg were very evident.  Katherine Shore certainly kept up the innocent little maid act whist Rachel Barnes was very believable as her protective maid and whilst everyone in the cast played a significant role in creating very believable characters the stage rather lit up when Sophie Gane treated us to her rampage as Mad Meg.  She used every inch of the stage to great effect.

Congratulations to each member of the team - a great evening’s entertainment.

Kay Rowan

South East Councillor

I’m so pleased that I was able to come and see your play after all – it was a departure from your usual choice and I really enjoyed it. The background information was most interesting and informative.

The set of the reception room in an old Inn was dressed appropriately for the era with the high-backed settle and latched door, plus the glimmering wall lanterns and the fire audience- side represented by flickering lights. It created just the right atmosphere of cosiness on such a stormy night.

The cast were commendable.

Diane Stahlmann was excellent as Anna and was in turn amiable, crafty and aggressive She had an enormous amount of dialogue and her diction was perfect.

Another splendid performance was from David Palman. He played Guy Worthington - who was clearly not quite as straightforward as he first appeared - and sowed that niggling little doubt as to what his real purpose might be in being at the Inn.

Craig Entwhistle made a pleasant, likeable and rather gormless William whose concern for the ship- wrecked Marian was touching.

The devious Jacob was played most convincingly by Neale. He was a really nasty, rough character who easily controlled the unworldly William.

Mike was also good as the other member of the trio, Thomas, another socially awkward man who was intimidated by Anna. The section toward the end when he and William were saying all the wrong things under questioning was really amusing.

In the role of Marian Langwathby, unfortunate enough to be on the ship wrecked in the storm, Katherine Shore played a young woman of superior social position splendidly. However, it turned out that she was also self -centred and not at all concerned for the welfare of her maid Alice when things became difficult.

Rachel Barnes was suitably deferential as her maid Alice and she delivered her dialogue superbly – her every word could be heard. Mad Meg was a great role to have, and Sophie Gane was first rate.  Ollie Frost supported well as The Gypsy.

Costumes were clearly researched and eminently suitable for the period, as were the properties.  Sound effects were very good and the timing of the opening/shutting door with the sound of the storm was spot on, also the creaking of the cellar door.

Lighting was good.The programme had an attractive front cover, contained all the relevant information and is easy to read

It was good to see Sue on the evening and also Steve. His direction was good and he should be very pleased with the results of his and the casts’ hard work.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.