Visiting Hour

This play by Richard Harris billed as “something completely different” is a series of six interlinked segments all based in a hospital ward. The first segment PLASTER opened on a superb set stage of a hospital ward which was entirely authentic. Eric (Steve Crofts) was immobile encased in plaster recovering from a car crash. His wife Helen (Christine Kislake) was visiting him and questioning his story of why he was parked in the dark and where were his trousers? A very funny opening scene and excellently acted by both. The second segment a solo piece with an old man in a wheel chair reminiscing about his life, at times happily but often shouting anger at his life in general and his family in particular (a superb monologue by Roy Hodges.) The third segment SHOW BUSINESS has a television crew covering the first quadruple heart transplant with a dozen characters leaving chaos in the ward with hospital staff and family members excellently performed and was very funny indeed. The Second Act began with GOING HOME a conversation between two patients Cheryl (Karen Evans) and Trisha (Penny Sant) was very well performed ending in a reluctance to return home. KEEPING MUM was next up when Pauline (Natalie Gardiner) talks about her mother to an elderly patient (Barbara Hinton) but all is not quite what it seems. The final segment MAGIC is a comedy involving six characters visiting patients and were doing more harm than good. The whole evening was a delight and the high quality of the performances illustrated the strength of talent in the Company.

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