Written by Loretta Willoughby
Directed by Jon Norman
Jasmine and Chester arrive at the old manor house, looking for the owner. What they meet is a collection of people who are, at the very least, eccentric. When Jasmine starts to question them fiercely, the residents start to question her motives - then Jasmine goes missing...
Yet again another enjoyable and engaging performance from the Medstead Players. The great set worked well with the abundant entrances and exits from the diverse, well rehearsed and believable characters. This was a complex play, well received by a fully engaged audience. Expertly directed by Jon Norman, where he capitalised on the many talents of his carefully chosen cast. Well done and thank you, a great team effort by all.
[GC]
We weren't sure whether the cast were merely a bit weird or completely mad. The position was clarified when Lawrence Oliver, the self important dead-beat Shakespearean actor walked on!
[JM]
The lights in the auditorium dimmed and conversations in the audience curtailed as the curtain came up. Stage lighting showed a scene-setting of colour with ancestral portraits hanging on the main walls. It wasn't long before the actors entered, dressed in colourful and in some cases unusually-shaped costumes. The dialogue and arguments between cast members helped things along nicely. All those ingredients contributed to Mind over Manor being such a good choice for The Players.
[CW]
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The play is set in an old traditional English manor house. To achieve the required period look, we decided on deep red walls, with a picture rail running around the room, an old wooden mantlepiece and a window overlooking the garden. The sky, ancient portrait pictures with ornate gold frames and the inset fireplace were all achieved with appropriate printed images. Suitable furniture and other items leant by members added to the effect and dummy light switches, picture hooks and picture wires completed the look. The attention to detail, left the audience thinking the set looked most realistic, while everyone spoken to presumed the pictures and frames were real.
[MO]
Cast:
Jasmine Winters - Tania Norman
Chester Banks - Dominic Clifford
Donna Summers - Sharon Blackshaw
Peter Von Schtuk - Nick Cooper
Maggie Johns - Julia Halls
Opal Summers - Nicki Tindale
Tamara Patterson - Nita Simpson
Amanda Biggs - Sam Taroni
Vince Macchio - Peter Cox
Layla Charleston - Anita Prior
Laurence Oliver - Rob Good