Whipping it Up

This was my first visit to the John Clare Theatre which is situated within the Peterborough Central Library.   It is small and intimate with a tiny open stage which was very well set as a cramped, unloved office clearly used by people with a political bent.

The front of house team was friendly and informal and we were advised that cordial and mince pies would be available during the interval, which was a charming touch.

I have been very impressed by the Peterborough Mask Theatre in the past and this production did not disappoint.

Opening the play were Alastair (Deputy Whip) played by Julian Ransom and Guy Pitcher (back bench MP) played by Luke Day…and they bounced on to the stage, full of verve and vigour and completely believable as modern-day politicians.  The suave Alastair was nicely contrasted by the somewhat nervous Guy.  Good performances throughout from both actors…these characters were in very safe hands.

Roguish Junior Whip Timothy, played by Dave House, makes his entrance with the uber-confidence of someone with a burning ambition to succeed.  I really liked Dave’s performance, which had just the right amount of jack-the-lad about it…well done.

Fulton (Chief Whip) played by the very accomplished Peter Crerar, was every inch the pompous, opinionated figure we all love to hate.  Used to getting his own way, there was a feeling that Fulton was about to be out-manipulated and there was little sympathy for him.  This was a case of ‘what goes around comes around’.  Peter’s characterisation was just right and, despite a slight glitch when a prompt was needed, was sustained throughout.

Maggie, a young upwardly mobile researcher, played by Summer Moeed, really highlights the corruption that is at the core of this play.  Maggie is driven and will use subterfuge to get what she wants.  Summer certainly looked the part of the cool, smart, motivated young woman, determined to succeed.

And last but certainly not least, we have Delia (Opposition Whip) played by Suzanne Tuck.  Delia swoops on to the stage and she simply cannot be ignored.  Outspoken, quick-witted and frank, she is a breath of fresh air…a strong woman in the precarious world of politics, dominated by men.  Suzanne attacked this role with great aplomb and, for me, gave the performance of the evening.

Whipping it Up is cleverly constructed and funny but you have to pay attention to follow the plot, amongst all the political shenanigans but with the standard of performance from all the actors involved, this is not difficult. 

My congratulations to Director Emma Goldberg for bringing out the very best in her cast and making Whipping it Up a pleasure to watch.

Sound and lighting, in the hands of Diane Fox and Rebecca Owen-Fisher, brought everything needed for this play to work, and gave the right level of atmosphere to the stage.

Congratulations to the Peterborough Mask Theatre, who continue to impress with their productions.

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