Written and Directed by Nita Simpson
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Tom's mother has purloined the dining room as her personal domain from which to reign over Anna as a professional invalid. This has necessitated a new conservatory which is being inaugurated with tonight's celebratory dinner party.
We meet Nigel and Rona, not your average Mr and Mrs, that's for sure. Nigel, played by Nick James, is a hilariously convincing drunk. Where could he have learned the art of appearing to be inebriated so convincingly, I conjecture? Surely he must have been obliged to spend a great deal of study time in a local watering hole such as our own Castle of Comfort? As for Rona, his cougar of a wife? It seems any man with a pulse was fair game for this glamour puss.
The other guest couple were Selwyn and Letitia, he a vet who enjoyed describing helping cows to calve to anyone who would listen, but shrank from having any involvement with his own daughter India's imminent confinement. Letitia's latest additions to her huge pet menagerie were a pair of female llamas. Or so they thought, until one gave birth to twins conceived by the other! Oops Selwyn! Missed that one then!!
As Tom and Nigel slipped away and bonded over drinks in Tom's man shed, Nigel offered Tom a job, much hinted at by Tom and much needed after recent redundancy.
India's very convincing labour pains were felt in sympathy by at least half the audience, yet were somehow missed by those on stage. The cast rapidly expanded as India gave birth to twins and one of the cats produced four kittens.
There were subplots involving prowlers, presents and a dead hat - yes, that's hat, not cat- which need to be seen to be appreciated.
Thank you Medstead Players for another convivial evening. A good time was had by all.
[Jill Lake]
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Medstead was treated to a World Premier on 22nd and 23rd May, with the first performances of Nita Simpson's new play 'Total Control Under Pressure', which she also directed. Nita was very capably supported by Allan Coombs, the producer. The set (Graham Bennell and Neil Simpson) and decor (Pam Kercher and Nita Simpson), were excellent, as was the lighting and sound.
The play had an interesting theme which evolved around Anna Dawson trying to remain calm amidst all kinds of problems when she and her husband had invited some friends for dinner. Claire Fraser conveyed beautifully how to remain calm and in control, despite the demands of Mother (unseen but frequently heard offstage) demanding attention at all the wrong moments, along with all the bizarre event during the course of the evening. Her husband, Tom, played by Will Rouse, did a grand job inventing all kinds of cocktails, not to mention introducing the lethal home-made wine - a very good recipe for making a dinner party go with a swing!
Sue Ovell and Dominic Clifford gave lovely performances as the guests, Letitia and Selwyn Parson-Critchley, with Selwyn, a vet, having to rush off just as the meal was served, to attend a difficult calving. Rebecca Edwards, also about to give birth, gave a convincing performance as a very expectant mother. There was an ongoing theme about Anna's cat that appeared to have been unfortunately killed in a road accident during the evening (apparently assisted by her husband) - just to add to the confusion. Graham Pettit had a nice cameo role as Detective Inspector McGary.
All this was happening while the hapless Anna tried to serve the dinner, keeping inexplicably calm under such immense pressure! The most memorable performance was by Nick James, playing Nigel Brooke, getting progressively drunk as the evening wore on, with Anita Prior playing the part of his wife, trying unsuccessfully to prevent Nigel from getting totally paralytic. And what of the poor cat? Well, that turned out to be nothing more than a Davy Crocket hat!
[Jan Bennett]
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Tom and Anna are holding a dinner party to celebrate the opening of their new conservatory. Anna has recently given up her job to look after 'Mother' who has taken up residence in what was their dining room, as she has recently become too ill to live alone and Tom has just been made redundant. Both are anxious about their financial future. Anna seems to be a magnet for stray cats and owns several.
Selwyn and Letitia, who are old friends of Tom and Anna, have been invited to the dinner. Selwyn is the local vet and Letitia has an ever-expanding menagerie of pets. Also invited is Nigel, a very successful local businessman and his wife Rona.
Tom and Anna are hoping that Nigel will offer Tom a new job. Tom has been given a book of cocktails by Anna and decides to make use of it to spice up the evening, especially as Rona loves exotic drinks. They are all members of the local Horticultural and Gardening Club and all live in a tiny village somewhere in middle England. The highlight of the village year - the Annual Produce Show, is imminent, as is Selwyn and Letitia's first grandchild.
[Nita Simpson]
Cast:
Tom Dawson - Will Rouse
Anna Dawson - Claire Fraser
Nigel Book - Nick James
Rona Book - Anita Prior
Selwyn Parson-Critchley - Dominic Clifford
Letitia Parson-Critchley - Sue Ovell
India Spencer - Rebecca Edwards
Andrew Spencer - Si Edwards
Detective Inspector McGary - Graham Pettitt