Review by Andrew Gemmell for The Victorian Drama League
The Farndale ladies, with the occasional assistance of the vicar, run the Farndale Church in a fictitious English village. It has to be fictitious because the law suits would be flowing thick and fast if it were not!
These two authors have written ten successful comedies about the ladies and their numerous failed attempts to provide theatre entertainment to the small population. Each play concentrates on the ladies, who are unable to hide their very strong characters, and never yield themselves to the silly creatures they are required to portray.
At the commencement we find ourselves, already half-cut, given the cabaret-style BYO arrangement, as an audience at the church hall, where the empty stage gives us no idea of what is about to unfold. Mrs Reece, head honcho of the Ladies Guild, here played by Georgy Charles, guides herself to the stage, between the tables of the already festive audience. She introduces the production, shouting incomprehensible instructions to the incompetent backstage crew, also ladies of the Guild, through the 5 or 6 revolving doors (Set design by Neil Barnett, constructed by Neil and Chris Churchward). Georgy plays Mrs. Reece as confident and in control, qualities never omitted in her later representation of a mad professor, in the play within a play that is about to unfold.
Stage manager Felicity (Meredith Vaughan), who plays a Martian affected by alcohol later in the piece, has been told to bring everything that is in the wings onto the stage, a task she laboriously performs over the first 15 minutes, to the delight of all. She mumbles to herself as she totes an unbelievable assortment of props and furniture to the proscenium. I was having fun guessing which item belonged to which of their previous productions. The actor’s later portrayal of the Martian was equally funny.
Into this mess, as the other play begins, is Norah, played by Karen Shnider, housekeeper now, but playing Roberta the Robot later. In Act One she struggles hilariously over the obstacle course on stage. Karen never misses an opportunity in her physical comedy, especially when she is being dragged across the stage as Roberta, affected by many Valiums (don’t ask).
After interval, again introduced by the ineffable Mrs. Reece, the play is now set, on an empty stage in, you guessed it, Outer Space. We are treated to an exceptionally good pantomime of light, which involves painted fluorescent images being carried deftly across stage under ultra-violet, accompanied by eerie sound effects. Lighting design was by Damien Calvert, operated by Jacqueline Sabbagh. The sounds, including the inclusion of crooned 1940s ballads, so appreciated by ladies of this generation, was designed by Vince Vaughan and operated by Indianna Keith.
The Vicar, Gordon, is played by the very experienced Neil Barnett as an addle-headed but well-meaning person, who also spends some time (I think) in Outer Space. I remember his collar showing vividly under UV. He spends his time on stage officiously correcting the pronunciation errors of his ladies, ignoring their numerous other deficiencies.
Actual mother of Meredith, Annie Laurenson, plays Thelma, the power behind Mrs Reece’s throne and wannabe leader. She is the standout here; ad-libbing at will, commanding the stage and playing the the two children of the vicar, one male and one female, with little variation, but excellent comedy styling. Her character’s main aim is to destroy Mrs Reece, which task she attempts at every available opportunity.
The make-up is awful but uncredited. The costumes are also awful, but credited to Jenni Osburn.
As I write those words, I reflect that it is probably just as hard, or maybe harder, to get it wrong as it to get it right. Beaumaris should give itself a hearty pat on the back for pulling this off.