The Pajama Game

Something of an overlooked show this - certainly in the current climate of societies choosing to hop onto whichever theatrical bandwagon happens to be passing, or joining in the fray to be the first society in their area to do whichever limp 9 days wonder of a show has been given a limited release - so it was immensely pleasing to see a production of a little gem of a show from the 'Old School'. This is a show which demands a great deal from any theatrical company: a large cast list along with many scene changes and sets which need to suggest a thriving factory floor, an outdoor picnic, a dream sequence, a nightclub, offices, corridors, Babe's kitchen, Eagle Hall for the big union meeting... I salute St Cuthbert's for having the confidence to mount such a big show given the limited resources available in their community hall, bringing a little bit of culture to the backstreets of Burnley on a rainy Monday night and for providing an evening of warmth, friendliness and all-round entertainment.

We did unfortunately get off to a rather shaky start musically with the overture (it was rather more 'Stockhausen' than 'show tunes') but it was the opening night after all and the small band did pick up after this opening blip. Robin Reid as Hines gave us an amusing précis of the story to follow - the opening introduction is just one of the show's many clever touches - and also made us aware that here was a performer in whose company we could relax. Robin made a superb job of guiding us through the show and his amiable, confident presence on stage is always a pleasure to see: Robin has that rare gift of being naturally likeable in whatever role he plays, making the audience feel happy in his presence and always acquitting himself superbly. The stage was now set for this winsome take on labour relations and the eternal battle between Capital and Labour: Marxist theory as explored through music and dance - who could ask for more from a night out at the theatre?!

The central characters Babe and Sid (representing the romance between the unlikely pairing of Labour and Capital) were well played by Marcia Turner and Richard Parrish: both performers sang well and exuded confidence on stage, Marcia being a particularly feisty and no-nonsense Babe, putting in a very strong performance. As already mentioned, Robin Reid made a super job of Hines and his wayward lady-friend Gladys was well played by Nicola Barrett - their scenes together were particular highlights - with Jason Morris exuding plenty of seedy oiliness as sleazy skirt-chasing Union boss, Prez. Heather Nicholas was typically brilliant as secretary Mabel - coping magnificently with a couple of sticky moments on stage when things went wrong and getting her fellow performers out of a hole: having the wherewithal to deal with any hiccups on stage when things go slightly awry is the mark of a confident and experienced player; well done Heather. Factory boss Mr Hasler was well played by Michael Smith - strong, clear diction here - and the girls of the shop floor, Poopsie, Brenda and Mae were well played by Helen Flack, Katie Broadley and Marina Monk, all three girls did a great job of leading the ensemble, adding individual colour to their characterisations. Salesman Max was essayed with cheeky charm by Arthur Griffiths and Mick Dawson as Pop was particularly good - a quietly understated, assured and thoughtful performance here. Smaller roles were played with varying degrees of accent success - rather more East Lancs than East Coast in many cases! - and there was one rather perplexing moment when the factory engineers seemed to be trying to fix a broken sewing machine with invisible tools from an invisible toolbox...

As the workers are nonplussed at the lack of a 7.5 cents an hour pay rise, the central drama unfolds with Babe and Sid finding themselves on opposite sides of the picket line. As if this were not drama enough, the show finds time to take in a knife throwing routine (really very cleverly done too!) a superbly surreal dream sequence, a duet with a dictaphone, a rather marvellous visit to the famous nightclub Hernando's Hideaway and a jolly pyjama parade finale. With such a large cast on a relatively small stage, dance routines and big musical numbers were well organised and came across well with scene changes - and there were a lot of them - being worked quickly and efficiently too: congratulations to the production team, along with Mick Dawson and his stage crew here.

The show's 'big' song - 'Hey There' - is a corker and if it threatened to wear itself out with repetition, it's frequent appearances managed to stay on just the right side of enjoyable. 'There Once Was a Man' was particularly well done by Marcia and Richard and I enjoyed the humour of 'Think of the Time I Save'. The standout section of the show for me was the Jealousy Ballet - superb lighting creating a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere on stage which reminded me of the Roger Corman horror films of the 1950s and 60s: similarly impressive was the opening to Hernando's Hideaway with the effective use of costumes and lighting creating an impressive effect. 'I'll Never be Jealous Again' was a strong number with Hines and Mabel taking the song in their stride and really selling it to the audience. I did think 'Steam Heat' could have been a good deal steamier and hotter than we saw here - and 'Her Is' is a song I'd pay not to hear again - but the happy, lively finale more than made up for any dodgy moments throughout the show.

If the plot of 'The Pajama Game' isn't quite as clever or involving as it thinks it is, this production made a virtue of the show's other qualities, highlighting the rather odd juxtaposition of surreal moments alongside the fairly standard 'boy meets girl only to find there are complications which are eventually overcome' plot. Unfortunately, the comedic trouser dropping scene wasn't as slick as it might have been as the pace fell flat with too many dropped cues, missing lines and prompts but again, this was the opening night after all. I'm sure this comic scene would have been polished up the following evening, along with any other shaky moments where dialogue needed prompting throughout the show which were probably a case of a few first night gremlins. The thoughtful direction and choreography helped to really bring life to the stage and resulted in many memorable moments however, bringing the best out of the cast.

It is always a pleasure to attend a production at St Cuthbert's as the society must be just about the friendliest and most inclusive group in the area: finding a place for everybody, never turning anyone away, suiting productions to the cast rather than the other way around. The warm and friendly atmosphere is infectious, bouncing off the stage and into the audience, making every evening a truly welcoming and well-rounded community affair. True, the society doesn't have some the advantages which other local groups enjoy but I have the utmost respect and admiration for the positive attitude and dedication of the society and the way they tackle interesting shows without fear, always bringing out the best from the cast, bringing thoughtful and considered productions to the stage. I hope they continue to do so for many long years into the future as their presence on the local cultural scene is a vital one. My sincere thanks go to all at the society for this, and for the very warm welcome which always comes with every visit. 

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