Waiting for Gateaux

Waiting for Gateaux... a play presented by CADOS at Chorley Theatre, Dole Lane, Chorley on Friday, 21st April, 2023.

‘Waiting for Gateaux’ is humorous play penned by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood. The play is set in possibly the worst health and fitness club in the North of England, where members are more interested in ‘pizza than pilates’, ‘yogurt more than yoga’ and ‘chips more than cardio’, where you can quite literally have their ‘cake and eat it’!  The lack of membership (3 ladies and 1 man) is probably down to the motivation of its leader, ‘Maureen’ who can be best described as a ‘big-boned, fifty-something year old widow!  The members have little or no interest in losing weight, they are solely there for the social side or when they’ve nothing better to do!  The arrival of ‘Sophie’, a TV Researcher, or so she claims, offering the ‘club’ and its members the chance to be part of a TV Programme… suggesting things may be on the up… but the arrival of a ‘snowstorm’, brings further ’revelations’… revelations that will change the members lives forever!

Production Team… Directed and Designed by the ever so talented Paul Carr, aided by Samantha Quinn (Producer) and Sian Wharton-Jones (Movement Coach), these were the three tasked with bringing this amusing play to stage and should be congratulated on their efforts.  Paul in his programme notes writes that the play destined for the stage that evening should have been ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ but things got changed at the last minute … so in ‘record time’ the staging of ‘Waiting for Gateaux’ took place!  All I can say, if I hadn’t read this, I would never have guessed!  Well done one and all… good job!

The Cast… for those who have read my reviews before, you will know this is where I start selecting MY favourite performances, but… I’m sat here thinking that the success of this play wasn’t down to an individual performance, but to this ‘tight knit’ group of actors who, due to time constraints, obviously worked their socks off in tandem with their ‘production team’ … to bring/develop this play for stage in record time!  
The cast included….
Elspeth Fisher took on the role of the ‘big boned fifty-something year old, chocolate obsessed widow’ … Maureen. This was Elspeth’s first production with CADOS.   
David Walker took on the role of Donald, a weak and ineffectual male whose New Years resolution is to be more assertive… ‘if that’s all right with you’.  The only reason he is attending the club is that he has a major crush on ‘Maureen’ – which he won’t admit to himself let alone to anyone else…he’s lost twelve stone so far, if he doesn’t tell her soon, there’ll be nothing left!
Jade Ingram played Jackie, whose husband is having an affair (perfectly obvious to everyone, including us audience members) but she hasn’t a clue until it hits her flush in the face!  Oh yes… Jackie also has a ‘very dark secret’ …. Sister ‘No’… Mother ‘Yes’!
Ruby Johnson took on the role of ‘Raven’ a ‘Goth’ with attitude! Ruby is a product of Chorley Youth Theatre where she’s been an active member of several years. This was Ruby’s first performance with CADOS. ‘Raven’ attends the health club with Jackie who she thinks is her sister… but is she???  Well done, Ruby, great job for your first ‘adult performance’… be ever so proud!
Kate Elektra O’Mara is another making her stage debut with CADOS taking on the role of ‘Sophie’. Sophie is a ‘con artist’ … a hard hearted ‘business woman’ purporting to be a ‘TV Researcher who, at first glance looks to be bringing ‘hope’ for the failing health club… but who’s intentions are far less honourable!

As previously stated, there were no individual stars in this production, this was very much an ensemble piece with all five cast members working together ever so well, complementing each other with no weak links.  I loved the chemistry and the interactions between them all, it worked, it was authentic and they created just the right atmosphere.  Each character had his or her own individual story to tell, stories they told really well.  The characters created were believable and were kept throughout.  They all had good stage presence, good storytelling ability and good comic timing and each should be so proud of what they helped to achieve. But I’m not too sure that a less able cast directed by a less able Production Team would not have made as good a job out of this play as this cast and production team did here that evening!  I found the plot/the storyline a little weak and familiar… it reminded me of other productions that I’d seen… usually incorporating one weak, ineffectual male amongst a gang of women… (I saw ‘Stepping Out’ the musical a month or so ago… a similar set up). Having said all that, we were still provided with plenty of laugh out loud moments and the play had all the essential ingredients, but I just felt the play was filled with stereotypical characters wrapped in a familiar and not so brilliant plot!  So well done to all involved, I really did enjoy your take on this play and the direction it went and I know, after listening to your loyal supporters at the interval and as we left, that many of them had also enjoyed it… be proud!

Staging / Set a minimal set was used to create the interior of the health club, which was used throughout, and which afforded the space for the play to flow and which allowed the actors the space to do their thing!  Ian Brookfield (Stage Manager/Scenery), along with Paul Carr, Maureen Orrell-Strand, Shaun McManus, Mason and Lucy Carr (Scenery), Ellie Brookfield (Stage Crew and ‘Goth’ consultant) were the people tasked with creating and working the set and bringing this production to the stage… well done folks, good job!  

Sound/Lighting/Tech…  Ben Holden (Tech Crew) was again the person overseeing the technical side of things here at Chorley… sound and lighting were great and used well and I particularly enjoyed the snippets of music selected and used throughout which really did enhance the feel of the production.

Wardrobe…  Sandra Dickinson with the Cast provided and watched over the costumes which were of a good quality and apt for this production.

Props… the props were well thought out and used well… Samantha Quinn was the person responsible for overseeing them! 

Thank you once again for inviting my wife and I, we really did enjoy the evening, hope to see you all again soon!

‘Stay Safe, Keep Well’
‘Stronger Together’

Jim Briscoe
NODA NW
District 6 Rep.

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