NORTH ESSEX THEATRE GUILD
FULL LENGTH FESTIVAL 2014-15
Group: Little Waltham Drama Group
Venue: Little Waltham Memorial Hall
Production: The Cemetary Club
Director: Mags Simmonds
Date: 24th April 2015
Introduction
An interesting choice, this piece reminds me of the popular series 'The Golden Girls' with its close relationships and great one-liners. It also provided a great opportunity for some significant roles for women. The New York accent presents a challenge as well as the mixture of comedy and poignancy the script requires.
Front of House & Refreshments Eileen Metson assisted by group members & friends, Kim Travell, Tony White assisted by group members and friends.
Box Office Vicky Weavers
Publicity Julie Cole
There was an eager queue outside the hall when we arrived, indicating a good job had been done by the box office and publicity. We were given a friendly welcome and shown to some good seats. During the interval we were very considerately looked after (thank you Kim for the lemon drizzle cake!).
Programme/Poster Karen Allen
The tombstone design was very effective and the choice of shades of grey enhanced the text. A useful synopsis, items from the director and chairman interspersed with space for sponsors gave us a strong sense of community support for the group.
Set Design Mags Simmonds
This play certainly presented the group with a challenge of getting the interior and exterior clearly represented given the shape and entrance points available. The interior of Ida's apartment looked comfortable and homely with an air of tidiness and order. By contrast the cemetery was a little overgrown and unkempt as the script requires. The one drawback was the delay in moving the cast from the interior to the exterior settings. I realise this was partly due to the venue itself but it would have been good if a way of using a step forward on the stage and the use of lighting or the curtain could have made that move easier. However the settings looked good and the audience were not worried by the delays.
Lighting Daniel Bottomley & Daniel Ayris
Effective choices with a lovely brightness to the lighting in the cemetery. Interior scenes had a more mellow feel completely appropriate for the different scenes.
Sound Mike Lee & Nicola Ayris
The music cues were accurate and appropriate with nice choices of music which blended into the mood of the piece well. Music was also used well to cover the scene changes.
Costumes Viv Abrey and Cast Members
The costumes were really well-chosen and there had obviously been close consultation between Viv and the cast. Lots of attention to detail such as Doris's scarf and black jewellery and Mildred's fascinator really enhanced the appearance of the characters. Sam's hat helped express his nervousness and Lucille's wonderful furs added a touch of luxury. The bridesmaid dresses were also thoughtfully done with just the right amount of sparkle for the ladies. Well done.
Proscenium paintings Liz Wilsher
These were delightful, the light colours use for the woodland were a lovely contrast to the grey of the tombstones. The gates and the path were enough to give the suggestion and atmosphere of a cemetery.
Scenery construction Kevin Mobsby assisted by Group members
This venue always presents a challenge and the areas of the stage were clearly defined for us and looked good. The construction team did a good job.
Stage manager Kathy Jiggins
This was managed smoothly and efficiently.
Make-up Cast
This was definitely a case where the cast would understand what was needed best. They looked good and natural with suitable embellishment for the wedding. Hairstyles were also very well managed and again I feel that individual cast members know what would work for them.
Prompt Chrissy Gould & Karen Wray
Always a reassuring presence for the cast but sadly were needed frequently throughout the performance.
Production assistant Jenni Money
The production reflects some good team work led by Jenni and Mags, a good partnership.
Choreographer Kim Travell
Some fun moves created for the girls which gave us a hint of their more youthful partnerships .
CAST
Ida Linda Burrows
In the first half of the show Linda seemed a little hesitant and restrained in her performance. She was much stronger in the second half, but as the cornerstone of the friendship group I'd like to have seen a more assertive start, she was particularly good in her scenes with Sam which showed their growing affection well. Lines were mostly secure but there were a few moments which felt shaky. By the end we were seeing a much more confident performance which felt more comfortable.
Lucille Vicky Weavers
Vicky really looked the part with this character with her exaggerated walk and distinctive change of demeanour when there was a man around. There was an issue over the vocal delivery and I'm not sure whether this was something that the script suggested or a directorial decision. The languorous drawl at times felt laboured which was a shame. Her stylish appearance and body language emphasised her flirtatious manner and emphasised the more vulnerable side of her character.
Doris Helen Langley
Once Helen has settled into her role she gave us a sincere and natural performance. Her mixture of disapproval and affectionate memories were clearly displayed through her body language, facial expressions and gestures. She was very engaging during her speeches to her much-missed husband but there were some stumbles over lines. Helen was strongest in her interplay with Ida in the first half where exchanges were deftly executed. We felt this was the strongest performance.
Mildred Sally Lever
This is a great cameo role and Sally looked as though she was enjoying playing the character. She looked very elegant and her nicely over-familiar manner with Sam worked well. Vocally she used a high pitched tone which reflected her eagerness as a character to be heard.
Sam Brian Corrie
Brian really caught Sam's nervous mannerisms when the character makes his first appearance appeared and these transformed well into the awkward exchanges with Ida as they moved towards a developing relationship. He also made a good attempt at sustaining the accent.
When his character became more confident Brian became more expressive with his body language a nice contrast to his appearances in the first half. Again there were a couple of slips with lines.
Director Mags Simmonds
This play allows for some great ensemble opportunities as well as quieter moments when each character has moments of their own, especially the three central women. I felt that these quieter moments were very effective and the direction of those moments was strong, a nice stillness which could have become repetitive but never did moving between the characters well in the cemetery scenes.
The production looked good, both in terms of the costumes and set and was effectively supported by the sound and lighting.
A nice sense of intimacy was also created for the scene where the 'girls' are preparing for the wedding the three central characters worked easily together and their actions felt natural.
The one thing that really detracted from the quality of the performance was the number of prompts needed, as they always hold up the pace and action. It was unfortunate as this play relies on quick exchanges and sustained pace to maximise the comedy and the poignancy. Perhaps more line rehearsals would have helped? This lack of pace also meant that some of the lines which needed a more 'acid' delivery were understated.
The audience certainly enjoyed the performance and immersed themselves in the story which has an optimistic outcome, we felt we had journeyed with these characters.
Thank you for the opportunity to see the show,
Best wishes accompanied by
Maggi Fisher Penny Davidson