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The Park Bench

Author: Sheila Gill

Information

Date
31st May 2025
Society
Carnon Downs Drama Group
Venue
The Perranwell Centre
Type of Production
Play
Director
Pam Furish
Written By
Ashley Burgoyne

Every time I visit this group it is great to see that time has been taken by the front of house to ensure the audience are immersed in the ambience of the piece. Many thanks for your warm welcome.  

The programme informed us that the drama group had chosen a comedy play to bring in funds to help with the fund-raising campaign to buy new theatre equipment for the new community space they will be able to use. The play they had chosen to perform was ‘The Park Bench’ by Ashley Burgoyne which was originally published in November 2022. Your director stated that she wanted to perform a comedy because she was ‘one for the power of laughter’ so we waited with anticipation to be entertained. The inclusion of BSL signer on stage made the performance accessible to those with additional needs.

The hall was set out in a more intimate café style with chairs and tables (which are brilliant to write notes on).  The open stage was set up with black back cloth and sides and a wooden park bench set centre stage. Luckily for the stage crew, there were no set changes.

The lighting was well controlled from the back of the hall. The sound effects and changing of lighting were well delivered and the occasional tweeting of birds made us feel we were sitting in the park and the calm piano music signified the passing of time.

The costumes used were modern day and chosen carefully to delineate the characters and the props added appropriate detail and suspicion in the case of the change of the beautiful coach-built pram to the more modern travel system.

As would be expected by the title of this play all the action was centred around the ‘Park Bench’. We meet Charles, a well-turned-out gentleman, a widower who has shared the same park bench with his late wife Rose and finds comfort in chatting with her every day about their past good times and his daily actions. Namely on the day the play opened that he has taken £1000 out of the bank in cash which he inadvertently leaves under the bench. Your experienced actor takes us through a gamut of emotions as he interacts with other members of the cast.

Ian, a middle class, middle management office worker asks if he can join Charles There ensues a comedy moment between the two characters as a perplexed Ian is informed, he is sitting on Rose. They strike up a friendship with Ian unburdening his marital woes as the result of an unfortunate incident at the works Christmas Party and Charles gives sage advice suggesting a dinner date and speaks to his wife when he is checking in with her. Your player was very convincing whilst trying to save his marriage and placate his wife following the misunderstanding and showing his growing care for Charles’ and help detangling his problem.

Charles departs to take his chop, spuds and pease pudding home leaving Ian sitting on the bench, neither notice the money bag on the floor. The next member of the cast to enter was a young single mum, bold, brash and permanently attached to her phone who explains that she walks around the park to get her baby to sleep. She certainly looked the part and had some wonderful lines when sharing information over the phone with her friend Shel. Stacey finds the bag with the money in and pops it in the pram. The player depicting the role was excellent portraying all the bolshiness expected but with the underlying caring side.

Charles realising his error had retraced his steps and while conversing with Rose a new actor arrived and expressed her concern for him. This character was Linda, Ian’s wife who is still suspicious of her husband and checking up following the conversation the day before. Ian returns, Charles explains about the missing money and with the arrival of Stacey with a brand-new pram Ian jumps to conclusions which he shares with Charles.

The actor playing Linda gradually softens during the performance from a wary wife to caring concerned confident and friend with Stacey and eventually forgiving wife and thoughtful part of the planning group to retrieve Charles’ cash.

Throughout all the above action two other male characters appear with rucksack on their backs. They are continually conversing in mime, gesticulating and taking images. These are the geocachers who are following clues to discover hidden caches. Colin and Terry have some wonderful lines with Colin misunderstanding causing laugh out loud moments. Terry is the more down to earth of the pair and tries hard to placate his friend with little positive results. Colin’s wild imagination gets them involved in what he visualises as a far-fetched drug smuggling gang and how they are going to use fake money to catch the culprits and take the glory when they gang are arrested. I got the impression that the two actors playing the parts were having a wonderful time. They had clearly defined their respective parts and bounced off each other. They ended up hoisted by their own petard as they are taken away by the police.

The Police woman was clearly portrayed with power and presence by your seasoned actor.

Your director had carefully chosen a humorous wordy script based on relationships which was set in or around the bench and delivered at a good pace.  The audience certainly enjoyed the ‘power of laughter’ provided by the cast. Congratulations to all those involved whether or stage or behind the scenes. Many thanks for an entertaining evening’s entertainment.

Disclaimer 

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what he sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance and it is inevitable that his assessment will be affected by that knowledge. 

The NODA Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular, the performance.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre. 

 It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

 

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