Visiting Hour

VISITING HOUR… (four short plays) performed by Ormskirk Theatre Company at The Chapel, St. Helens Road, Ormskirk.... on Friday, 15th July, 2022.

This play, billed as ‘something completely different’, was penned by the highly successful playwright Richard Harris, whose previous creations included ‘Outside Edge’ and the highly successful ‘Stepping Out’.  Harris’s original ‘Visiting Hour’ included six short segments, but Ormskirk Theatre Company chose to use just fourin this production.  The stories are interlinked and take place in a National Health Hospital during the late 1980’s. During our visits, we meet up with many larger-than-life characters, including relatives, friends and of course, the patients, who all relay their often hilariously funny stories and situations!   

It has been over two years since I last had the pleasure of being invited to watch Ormskirk Theatre Company ‘do their thing’… in fact it was the 14th March, 2020, when they performed two, one act plays called ‘Let’s be ‘avin’ you’ and ‘Funeral Tea’… at The Upmarket Theatre, (Market Cross PH), Church Street, Ormskirk. So much has changed since then including OTC finding a new home at ‘The Chapel’, St. Helens Road, Ormskirk.

The ever so talented Pat Baker (Director) was in charge of staging this series of plays and what a good job she made… not only did Pat direct, she also delivered a more or less ‘one person’ performance in ‘Keeping Mum’, well done Pat good job all round!

An ‘minimal open set’ greeted us as we entered the intimate surroundings here at ‘The Chapel’.  Two authentic looking hospital beds, two bedside cabinets and two chairs plus a prostrate male (Gary Simpson), plastered from head to foot, lying motionless in one of the beds, greeted us!   I arrived some twenty minutes before the commencement of the play with just four others present at that time… our ‘plastered guy’ did not move a muscle nor blink an eye lid, before the lights dimmed and the production commenced… impressive Gary!

As most will know who have read my reviews before, this is where I usually ‘stick my neck out’ and start selecting favourites… MY favourites, and I know if you ask others present, they’d probably select others... but this is ME!  I did find it difficult selecting favourites, because I thought that everyone in the four plays did of their best and what more can you ask… but here goes!

‘PLASTER’ was the first of our four segments… where we find ‘philandering husband’ ‘Eric’ played by Gary Simpson, lying motionless in bed, recovering after a nasty car accident!  Eric (‘plastered’ from ‘head to toe’), is visited by his dutiful wife ‘Helen’ played by Jackie Roscoe who questions him about the accident… asking him why he was parked in a dark lane and about the absence of his trousers!  A really funny sketch to open the night.  Gary and Jackie did a really good job with this lovely comedic study of ‘guilt’ and ‘retribution’!  The interaction between them both was believable… well done, be ever so proud… great opening piece!

‘GOING HOME’ Angela Johannessen took the role of ‘Cheryl’, Nicky Rippon played ‘Tricia’, Val Pasco played ‘Hazel’, Paul Harding played a ‘Visitor’. Jackie Roscoe played ‘Eileen’ and Gary Simpson as the ‘husband’.  ‘Cheryl’ and ‘Tricia’, had been admitted to hospital at the same time, on the same day for the same surgical procedure. They’d recovered together and during their stay they’d ‘kindled’ a very special relationship… but it was now time for ‘Tricia’ to reluctantly go home, emotions were running high! A really good piece of theatre, with everyone involved contributing well.  Angela and Nicky, the ‘leads’ worked ever so well together creating two believable characters. Unfortunately, we did have a number of prompts which affected both the pace and the emotion of the piece and with the ‘prompt’ being ‘visible’ and situated between cast and audience, we did hear every prompt fully which was a real pity.  I think, for the other segments, the prompt may have been secreted behind the black backing cloth, out of site but still very close to the actors but not as easily heard by the audience as in this case.  Something to consider for the future I would suggest … otherwise, this was a really good sketch! 

‘KEEPING MUM’ … this poignant monologue saw ‘Pauline’, played wonderfully well by Pat Baker, talking to an elderly bedridden woman who you think is her mother… but all is not quite what it seemed and there was an unexpected ‘twist’ in this tale… The ‘Show Stopping’ performance of the night for me!   Pat delivered, with effortless ease, all the emotion needed to make this piece work.  Great stage presence, great story telling, great characterisation… well done Pat be ever so proud… wonderful job!

‘MAGIC’ was the final piece of the evening… Angela Johannessen took on the role of ‘Brenda’, Iain Pasco played ‘Ron’, Val Pasco played ‘Joan’, Jennifer Edwards played ‘Sandra’, Nicky Rippon played ‘May’ and Les Rippon played ‘Arthur’.  Sometimes, visitors make things worse rather than better, especially when they appear to know more about the procedure that you are waiting to undergo than you do… so when ‘Ron and Joan’ (a pair of over powering work colleagues) visit timid spinster Brenda, just before her procedure, their bad jokes and tricks aren’t what was called for and poor old Brenda’s situation goes from bad to worse. I must admit to being slightly bemused at first until ‘the penny dropped’ and then it all began to make sense!  There was some great acting in this sketch with each and every one playing their part really well.  I especially enjoyed Jennifer Edwards take on ‘Sandra’.  This was almost an ‘aside story’, but one which added so much intrigue to the overall piece. Her mobile phone conversation with her ‘wayward boyfriend’ was so believable… you instinctively knew what was being said at the other end!  Well done each and all … and ‘special’ mention to Jennifer Edwards, great job, be proud! 

The ‘Production Team’… Paul Harding (Stage Manager) with Paul Falcone, Alan Baker and David Evans on ‘Lighting and Sound’.  Well done guys.

Thank you so much for inviting me to your ‘new home’, it was so great to see ‘Ormskirk Theatre Company’ back, doing what they do best!  Thoroughly enjoyed the evening… I hope that everything works out and we can meet up again soon at ‘The Chapel’!

Stay safe and keep well

Jim Briscoe
NODA North West
District 6 Rep

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.