Wakefield Drama Festival 2013

This was my third consecutive festival, having attended and reviewed all seven shows in 2011 and 2012. Last year was dominated by a couple of grim and heavy plays while this year was much more about the comedy. It worked on one level but the scheduling was hampered by companies dropping out. I think this impacted the shape of the week, though there were a few excellent productions contained within it.

Sunday - Behind Closed Doors

This play, set in the 1980s, tells the story of Sandra (Emma Legg) and Tarquin (Jonathan Cook) who meet at university and come from very different families. Both of their mothers, though, are victims of domestic violence. The play is therefore a fairly dark one but there are some humorous moments throughout which lighten the mood. Pearl (Jane Walker) and Eddie Heptinstall (Alan Galway) are the more obvious couple of the piece - he's a binman who is handy with his fists when things aren't going his way. Meanwhile, Vernon Pollock (Lester Cooke) is a successful businessman who has exacting standards of perfection which his wife, Harriet (Leisa Cooke), could never live up to. Pearl invents a fantasy man, Thomas (Seb Goss), to cope while Harriet drinks but matters come to a head when the families meet.

The contrasting representations of domestic violence worked well and Alan Galway provided some much-needed light-relief as Eddie, a character we can understand even while he does horrible things. Lester Cooke had a more difficult job with Vernon and I think it showed. On the female side, Jane Walker's accent wasn't quite there but I have nothing but admiration for Leisa Cooke, an understated performance when it needed to be. I'd say that some of the cast were definitely stronger than others. There were some lighting decisions which I didn't agree with and the bottle of 'vodka' that was spilled at the end detracted my attention from the action as I watched it float down the stage. However, overall, this was a compelling piece of theatre, a little heavy to start the week on, perhaps, but well acted and reasonably well put together.

Monday - Playhouse Creatures

Kismet Theatre Company jumped in at very short notice to perform this play that they've done before but in a very different theatre. The transition caused some problems but, considering they'd only had a week to prepare it was an extremely good production. Set during the Restoration, Playhouse Creatures shows a group of actresses through their highs and lows, including the notorious Nell Gwynn (Emma French). There are two other young actresses, Mrs Farley (Dawn Cowan) and Mrs Marshall (Kerry Greenwood), and one stately actress, Mrs Betterton (Jeanne Bain), who has been in the theatre for far longer. Rounding out the cast is Doll Common (Paddy Johnson), stage hand and general cynic.

I think the play suffers from being a little episodic but, that said, there are some wonderful little moments within it. The concept allows the actresses to transform themselves into various stage roles and the Cleopatra is particularly entertaining. It's an excellent period piece, accessible to modern audiences but still with the taint of Restoration London on the dialogue. There were excellent costumes in this and, though I was initially disappointed with the limited set, the three boards they used to distinguish the bits of stage action worked well.

There are a couple of things I particularly enjoyed about this production. Firstly, Emma French was an excellent Nell and she and Paddy Johnson carried the piece. Jeanne Bain's Mrs Betterton had some wonderful scenes, especially her final ones and she was the character I felt for most. However, she also provided the 'clock' method of acting that had people in stitches. Despite Nell Gwynn and Doll Common (and a rather horrible abortion scene), that 'clock' is the thing I'll remember most vividly.

Tuesday - Hobson's Choice

Henry Horatio Hobson (Keith Lowe) owns a boot-shop which is run primarily by his three daughters, the bulk of the shop work being taken on by his eldest, most capable daughter, Maggie (Liz Brooks). When he tells her she's past marrying age she retaliates by taking up with her father's best cobbler, William (John de Tute), taking trade from him and arranging things for her sisters while she's at it. Unfortunately, this leaves Henry isolated but will he back down or remain obstinate?

This was excellent, utterly hilarious with some fantastic performances thrown in. Liz Brooks's deadpan delivery made her a favourite with the audience and the first time we see her - when she's manipulating one of her sisters' suitors into buying a pair of boots when, really, he just came in to see her sister - sets up the rest of the play. Equally, John de Tute's hunched portrayal of the cowardly William is beautiful, enhanced by his transformation at the end of the play. The other actors were very good, yes, but these two stole the show for me. (They took home the 'Best Actress' and 'Best Actor' awards at the end of the week, rather proving my point.)

The set was carefully planned and wonderfully executed, very detailed and appropriate. Overall, this was a beautiful production, appreciated by the audience and obviously enjoyed by the actors themselves.

Wednesday - Side Effects

I had high hopes for this one. Set in a convalescent home, it tells the story of the cantankerous Frank (Ray Taylor), booked in for respite, alongside the Reverend Paul Latimer (Peter Horner). The vicar has been given a new heart and is acting very strangely, particularly around the mysterious Tracey (Esther Dyson). Paul's wife, Sarah (Karen Slater), is alarmed by her husband's behaviour while Frank's wife, June (Sally Davies), is irritated by her husband's enjoyment of the situation.

However, this production didn't do the script justice. Written by the man behind Rising Damp you could almost imagine it needed an overblown central character with more presence than this production offered. I think he needed to be far more despicable, creating more of a surface for other characters to bounce off. This worked to an excellent with June, his wife, who had some of the best lines of the night and delivered them well. However, the laughs were thin on the ground because, for some reason, the piece seemed to lack conflict and pace. It seemed too leisurely when there was far more anger in the writing than was displayed on the stage.

Thursday - Without Fear or Favour

Set in a Yorkshire police station in the 70s, this tells the story of a group of officers and support staff in the run-up to Christmas and the closure of their station. Very much an ensemble piece, this has a large cast which occasionally makes it difficult to keep track of who's who. This became less of a problem and there are some very memorable characters within the piece and some fantastic moments.

It's difficult to summarise the plot of this one so I'll just have to say it's hilariously funny with some poignant moments in it and the twist just after the interval definitely surprised me. Every one of the actors brought something individual to their roles but my favourites were Hayley Harris as WPC Margaret Ward, who managed to keep my attention in scenes that weren't about her due to subtleties of movement, Rob Atkinson as DC Malcolm Skidmore, a thoroughly believable performance, and Gail Rogers in her brief role as dementia sufferer Agnes Parrish.

The detail in the set and the script were excellent and I was glad to be part of an audience that appreciated every line of dialogue and every little look. Definitely one of the highlights of the week.

Friday - The Grocer's Daughter

This one-woman play stars Mary Creasey as Connie, a shopkeeper reminiscing as she packs up her things to leave. I went into this with a few distinct advantages to most people my age - I grew up watching and enjoying repeats of Coronation Street from the 70s on Granada Plus, I've had an obsession with Victoria Wood-type Northern humour since my mid-teens and I've watched a fair amount of old films so I understood more of the references than I might have otherwise. I can imagine without these advantages I would've found the piece a bit incomprehensible.

As it was, I enjoyed it for the most part. Most of the characters Creasey transforms herself into are amusing, though they are difficult to recall individually afterwards. I wasn't really keen on the songs she threw in but they did alter the pace somewhat. One decision I was uncertain about was the melancholy end to the first act - while that particularly story is one that resonated with me, it was an odd way to leave the audience for the interval. All in all, this was a good play; better, I suspect, if you're over a certain age. Full credit to Mary Creasey for what must have been an exhausting show.

Saturday - Death and the Maiden

This is a heavy play and, as such, I'm not sure it was the best work to conclude the week, especially after a schedule packed with comedy. It tells the story of Paulina Salas (Julie Johnston), a woman who was captured and tortured years ago. She now lives, still troubled by her experiences, with her husband Gerardo (Andy Rea). One night a man arrives on their doorstep who she becomes convinced was one of her captors. But is Roberto (Mike Bellenie) innocent or guilty and does it matter?

I struggled with this one. Although I initially liked the set - furniture covered with sheets, high windows at the back and a little veranda area - it became a little cumbersome as time went on and characters were travelling between the living room and the veranda. In addition, the piece felt overblown sometimes and too underplayed at others - I'm not sure they got the balance right. It's a difficult play to convey and I don't think the ambition of the company paid off this time. While there were a few stand-out moments, overall, I found this one difficult to warm to which, in all fairness, may have been a result of the dark subject matter.

Conclusion

I think this year was marked by two phenomenal local productions - Hobson's Choice and Without Fear or Favour - which, between them, took home 11 out of the 12 awards (the only one they missed was the one they couldn't possibly win - third place!). I came out of Hobson's Choice convinced it was the play of the week and, though Without Fear or Favour briefly shook my resolve, I couldn't help but cast my vote for it in the 'Audience Award'. I hope other companies don't think this was a Wakefield whitewash - it just so happened that this year the local companies excelled themselves.

All I can say is that St. Austin's Players and Wakefield Little Theatre thoroughly deserved their accolades this year. In addition, I enjoyed Playhouse Creatures and it was a worthy recipient of the award for third place. It was certainly a year of diverse plays - some worked, some didn't. Everyone involved should feel proud and congratulations to the winners.

Preview: Wakefield Drama Festival 2013

In under two weeks I'll be attending the Wakefield Drama Festival for the third time. I reviewed my experiences in 2011 and 2012 but this year I thought it would be interesting to look ahead and see what I've got to look forward to. Seven different plays over seven nights (26th May - 1st June) always brings out an eclectic bunch of plays and this year is no different.

On Sunday 26th May Bonkers Theatrical, Kettering perform Behind Closed Doors by Janet Shaw, which explores the engagement of two university students and the domestic violence which permeates both of their families despite their differences. It apparently has 'comedy and tragedy in equal measure'.

On Monday 27th May Gainsborough Theatre Company perform Shakers by John Godber and Jane Thornton. It explores the lives of four waitresses in a cocktail bar which 'is worse than hell'.

On Tuesday 28th May St Austin's Players perform Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse. A comedy set in 1915, it tells the story of a widower struggling to control his daughters who work in his shoe shop, a problem that becomes more acute when one of them marries his best cobbler and decide to set up a rival business.

On Wednesday 29th May Trinity Players, Barnsley perform Side Effects by Eric Chappell. This is a comedy with such a description that it's best to just quote it: 'Frank Cook has been booked into a private nursing home, by his wife June, for a week's respite. Whilst there, he encounters the Reverend Paul Latimer who is recovering from a heart transplant and whose odd behaviour is beginning to alarm his wife, Sarah. The young, attractive Tracey might provide the answer. She is convinced that the vicar's new heart belonged to her recently deceased lover Melvin - a fairground 'wall of death' rider!'

On Thursday 30th May Wakefield Little Theatre perform Without Fear or Favour by Reece Andrews. Written by a retired police officer, this play looks at the reality of policing in suburban West Yorkshire in the 1970s.

On Friday 31st May The Yorkshireman Company perform The Grocer's Daughter by Mary Creasey and Jack Land Noble. A 'one woman comedy' set in Grimethorpe, it deals with Connie as she packs away her life before closing the shop for good. 

Finally, on Saturday 1st June Halifax Thespians perform Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman. Containing strong language and adult themes, this is another one where I'll just quote the description: 'A riveting psychological thriller set in a country whose people have just wrestled power from a punishing regime of dictatorship in order to establish a democracy. But, what makes a decent society and who, if anyone, should be held to account for past failures?'

So there you go, that's the week in full. From the descriptions, I'm looking forward to The Grocer's Daughter and Death and the Maiden most but I expect the entire week to be enjoyable as it has been for the last two years.

Tickets for the individual shows are £12. A three night pass costs £30 and a seven night pass costs only £49 which works out at £7 a show. I should say thank you to the theatre for not raising this price, keeping the theatre affordable. I think the festival is a wonderful opportunity for people to see the different types of play that the Theatre Royal Wakefield offers and I wouldn't be going back for the third year in a row if it wasn't both great fun and value for money. Watch for my review at the end of the week!

For more information and to book tickets please visit their website. 

Wakefield Drama Festival 2012

I should note that while this year was billed as the 'Jubilee Drama Festival' it's pretty much by chance the two coincided. Aside from standing at the national anthem, there was no Jubilee-related activity. That's why I've billed this as the 'Wakefield Drama Festival 2012'. This is the second year I've attended, thoroughly enjoying 2011 after a shaky start. I think this year felt a little more gruelling than last year but it did have some heavier productions on, adding to the overall atmosphere. I do know that attendance dropped this year - that may have been a consequence of people not wanting to buy seven night passes that interfered with the Jubilee celebrations or they might have been put off by this delightful rain we've been experiencing but, nevertheless, I'd urge people to attend next year if they can. The standard of some productions this year was phenomenal.

Sunday - Terra Nova
This felt like a grim one to start the week on - a dramatisation of the final days of Captain Scott's expedition to the South Pole. Heavy subject matter indeed but relieved slightly by occasional touches of humour and some manipulation of reality. Throughout the play, we follow Scott's wandering mind as he recalls his wife and engages in fantastical conversations with his South Pole adversary, Roald Amundsen, as he tries to keep his team alive. It was at times difficult to watch a story that we know the tragic ending of but Simon J. Vardakis as Captain Scott put in a wonderfully believable performance of a man struggling with his responsibilities and making errors of judgement along the way. The rest of the cast were equally as believable, coping with the time and reality shifts with remarkable dexterity.

Technically, the stage was well-assembled and it won 'Best Stage Presentation' at the end of the week. It even looked cold, covered in white sheeting with two raised sections which allowed Scott's conversations with his wife and Amundsen to be separated from the action. I couldn't fault the script nor, really, anything. The final scenes were so harrowing that I was close to tears, something that's never happened to me in a theatre before. All in all, this was another exceptional production from the company that provided the overall winner last year.

Monday - The 39 Steps
An adaptation of the Hitchcock film with only four actors played to the ultimate comedic effect - what could be finer? Well, not much. The key to this play is for the actors to connect with the audience and they managed it beautifully, particularly the two 'clowns' who had to play dozens of roles between them and jointly took home the 'Best Actor' prize at the end of the week.

There were some ingenious uses of staging to get laughs, including an iconic door that was pushed repeatedly around the stage to hilarious effect. In addition, a wonderful screen at the back of the stage depicted scenes too difficult to construct on stage - a plane crash, the escape across a loch (Nessie made an appearance at this point). Occasionally, however, the tension slipped a bit and a few sections became repetitive and slow. There are only so many times you can laugh at the same thing. There were, though, some fantastic character-switches for the clowns which the audience certainly appreciated. I think the finale set in the London Palladium was well-orchestrated, although the last scene of the piece felt as though it overstayed its welcome. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable evening with some good performances.

Tuesday - Outside Edge
I think the first thing to say about this production is that there seemed to be a catastrophe pre-curtain. An ambulance at the rear entrance twenty minutes before the performance is never a good thing and I think it may have been the director who was taken off. That probably explains some of the issues I had with the play.

There was a fair bit of line-fluffing, including one incidence of the prompter having to dive in. That threw me off a bit but, to give credit to the cast, they recovered well every time there was an issue. Some of the characters were over-played but I suspect they were written that way. The play itself (written in 1979) felt a little dated from time to time but the interplay of the characters and the fundamental natures of the people involved shone through. My favourite performance came from Debby Pickering as Miriam, the long-suffering wife of cricketing captain Roger. She played the nattering, obedient wife to perfection in the first act then, as things began to fall apart as she realised her husband's lies, she morphs into a brittle, sarcastic woman struggling to hold it all in. The action takes place at a cricket club as the players compete against another team amidst failing relationships and injury. Another few honourable mention for acting must go to Helen Binns as Maggie and Chris Harrison as Kevin, both of whom were endearing and funny. A few actors seemed to struggle with the horrible natures of their characters - Ginny and Dennis being two examples - and the play could've done with the nudge from more tension in this respect. However, I liked the building up of Miriam's suspicions throughout. This play is running for a few days at the end of June and it's certainly worth a chance, especially if the cast have taken on board some of the adjudicator's opinions.

Wednesday - Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
This play is based on the real-life experiences of a hostage in the Lebanon. In all honesty, I wasn't expecting this to be one of the highlights of the week: a static set, three characters imprisoned, pain and suffering didn't assist in making me look forward to it. How wrong I was.

I can only remember once being so torn apart by a play and that was when I ventured to London to see Tracie Bennett in End of the Rainbow. Someone Who'll Watch Over Me was claustrophobic, heart-breaking yet the tension was broken by moments of light-relief as the three prisoners tried to forget the horrific situation they were in. The 'tennis match' between Michael (Derek Smith) and Edward (Simon Reece) was hilarious and the actors should be commended for their ability to switch from despair to humour in the blink of an eye. All in all, I'd imagine the actors were thoroughly exhausted at the end of it but they performed remarkably throughout - there wasn't a slip that I could discern. Something the adjudicator remarked on at the end of the play was that the audience didn't feel as though they were watching a play and that was certainly true - there was no artificiality at all and the actors really became the characters. There was a good use of music throughout, starting with 'Someone To Watch Over Me' (of course) sung by Ella Fitzgerald. However, the most heartbreaking incidence of music came from Alistair Cheetham as Adam, singing 'Amazing Grace' and bringing the curtain down on act one. There are no words to describe the effect that had on the audience. When the lights came back on no one wanted to move. As you can probably tell, I don't have a bad word to say about this production.

Thursday - Charley's Aunt
For me, there's a distinct difference between playing a production written in the Victorian era where the Victorians take the mickey out of themselves and playing it as a contemporary company taking the mickey out of the Victorian era. I realise I have a rather deep interest in this as a student of Victorian literature and it well may be that the flaws that presented themselves to me in this production were invisible to everyone else. Nonetheless, I was disappointed by something I hoped to enjoy.

The play tells the farcical tale of Jack and Charley, two young men hoping to propose to Kitty and Amy respectively before the girls leave for Scotland. Charley's aunt, whom he's never met, is supposed to be coming for lunch and that strikes the boys as the perfect opportunity to speak to the girls. At the last minute the aunt writes that she won't be attending, leaving poor Fancourt Banbury in a predicament as his friends force him to dress up and pretend to be Charley's aunt. Unfortunately, the 'aunt' soon finds herself with two suitors and things take another turn for the worse when the real aunt arrives. I suppose another one of my problems with this one was the over-acting present, especially in act one. Yes, it's a farce but the best farces stem from the dialogue and characterisation and, while the script was good enough, the actors seemed compelled to over-play it instead of letting the script speak for itself. I think the younger actors were guiltier of this than the older ones. There was an over-reliance on exaggerated facial expressions which didn't fit with the moment and, while it picked up a little towards the end, the first half dragged immeasurably. One other thing that irritated me - there was a second interval to allow a set change. Given the sparsity of the set, I rather think that could've been accomplished in a black-out with some music playing.

There were some good performances though, particularly J.E. de Tute as Banbury and K.T. Lowe as the butler, Brassett. They at least seemed to embrace their parts without mocking them from a contemporary standpoint and I was delighted when Lowe took home the 'Best Supporting Actor' award at the end of the week. However, I expected to enjoy this one much more than I did, I'm afraid.

Friday - The Glass Menagerie 
At around two and a half hours long (plus interval) this one was the lengthiest play of the week and, while I understand why it was put on Friday night, by this stage I think the audience was perhaps too tired for such an intellectual offering. That said, it gripped me throughout, though I do have criticisms of my own.

The staging seemed to be tricky if you were anywhere apart from dead centre stalls. There was a curtain across which revealed a table but, thanks to some props to the left, it impaired the view for some of the audience. I spent scenes watching two people with a third frustratingly out of sight. Nonetheless, the set felt authentic and uncluttered at the front. The production's use of music was excellent, but voices didn't always carry far enough - something which one man loudly commented on during the best scene, only to be shushed by everyone around him. Negatives aside, the actors were fantastic. Clare Foster as Laura Wingfield was remarkable, especially in the romance scene opposite Jack Cotton as Jim. I was enthralled during that scene, literally leaning forward in my seat as the tension between the pair rose and fell. One thing this production did exceptionally well was build an atmosphere. The adjudicator remarked that the atmosphere was too level and gloomy and that Amanda's (Margaret Leigh) moments of hysteria could've been used to alter the pace and, although he did have a point, I don't think it caused too much of a problem for me personally. The four members of the cast worked brilliantly together and I came out of this one touched by the performances. Clare Foster took home the 'Best Actress' award for her efforts, something very much deserved.

Saturday - One Big Blow
This isn't the play to go to if you're looking for realism! Six actors playing lots of different roles between them, it's ostensibly the story of a brass band preparing for a competition but, really, the competition isn't the thing that grabs the audience. The a cappella singing in lieu of an actual band seemed like a bad idea in concept but worked exceptionally well in practice. The additional songs the cast sang were both funny and fitting and the physical performances put in by the cast felt exhausting to the audience. It was a difficult one to keep up with at times, with all the character-switching, but it really didn't matter in the end. This one was an hilarious romp with some ingenious uses of bodies instead of props and some brilliant asides to the audience - one character commenting that he couldn't do anything because he was being a lamp in that scene to name but one. Taking the mickey out of theatrical symbolism whilst also incorporating the audience into the production was brilliant and this was an excellent one to finish the week on - light and frothy after something of a heavy week.

Conclusion
I found this year tougher than last but that may have been due in part to the weather. However, the standard of the drama this year was exceptionally high and it was no surprise to me that Someone Who'll Watch Over Me took both first prize from the adjudicator and the audience award (it was certainly my choice!). Terra Nova was given second prize - thoroughly deserved - while One Big Blow took third. My opinion tailed with the adjudicator's on four awards, which isn't bad going. I can only imagine how difficult the 'Best Actor' award was for the adjudicator given the standard of male acting throughout the week. One thing he mentioned in his summing up, though, was that was there was a distinct lack of important female characters this year. I don't know if I appreciated the male dominance as much as he seemed to in all honesty. However, it did mean that when I came across an outstanding female performance such as Debby Pickering in Outside Edge and Clare Foster in The Glass Menagerie it felt like a special moment.