Date

23rd April 2015

Society

Marlborough Dramatic Club

Venue

Brentwood School theatre

Type of Production

Play

Director

Patricia Staley & Guy Harding

Report

Author: Julie Robertson on behalf of Tessa Davies

The play opens in Ginny’s bed-sit; Ginny, it transpires, has had a somewhat chequered past.  She is now co-habiting with Greg who, on waking, finds a pair of man’s slippers under the bed.  There are also numerous deliveries and discoveries of flowers and sweets addressed to Ginny.  This should have given him an idea of what Ginny has been up to, but he is so besotted by her, he doesn’t put two and two together. 

Ginny is off for the day, to ‘visit her parents’ but in fact she is on her way to break off her relationship with an older man and get back some compromising letters.  Greg decides to follow and assuming he will be meeting Ginny’s parents, has plans to ask for their daughters hand in marriage.  He arrives first and the usual confusion, panic lying and mistaken identity starts.

Once again Marlborough Drama gets it right in their attention to detail and a beautifully designed (by Keith Morgan) and constructed set (by George Churchill, Harry Morrison, Jim Grandison, Richard Bird, Jean Morgan and Keith Morgan).   The opening scene a bed sit, very simple, in front of the house tabs with enough room to show that it is indeed ‘small’.  Then we get the full force of the excellent set, the patio area at the back of the house with brick work, patio doors and a real drain pipe, garden trellis, trailing and potted plants, a shed and garden furniture, all of which definitely give the impression of a lovely warm summers day.

It is essential that the characters are strong and in the main they were.  Well done to the cast of four, Sam Robinson-Thorley (Greg) the young boyfriend, nicely played and suitably innocent.  Juliette Bird (Ginny) convincing as the devious and sexy girlfriend who was at least trying to do the right thing by breaking off the affair!!   Guy Harding (Philip) as the philandering husband, this is played with confidence and an air of bravado.  Finally, Louise O’Connor (Sheila) who got the most comedy out of her role.  She plays the downtrodden wife, who has an idea her husband is, or has been, unfaithful, and she had me feeling sorry for her; after all she hadn’t done anything wrong, or had she???

A warm welcome, as always by this company, a great selection of 1960’s music (time period for the play) together with a cup of tea in the interval, all made for a lovely evening’s entertainment.  Congratulations to all involved in this production.