Anyone who has not seen this production has missed a real hum-dinger! The action began with David, played by David Fewkes, the frustrated producer of a play being put on by the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society (FAHETGDS), trying to finish a final rehearsal as the audience arrived. The FDS female players excelled themselves as the amateur actors putting on a disastrous murder mystery, playing both male and female roles. The male members of FDS provided the back stage/front stage scene changes with a variety of mishaps, such as doors which wouldn't open, or opened when they shouldn't, a sliding 'bookcase' revealing a hidden passage, which would not shut, despite vain attempts by both the cast and back stage hands of the FAHETGDS, and suitcases, with lives of their own, appearing and disappearing from both sides of the stage to add to the actors' confusion on stage.
Nicola Hollow played Thelma, playing June, a young girl eloping with her fiance, in the play within a play. Her fiance, Marty, was played by Wendy McDonnell, as Lottie in the play, an apparently Viennese lady of older years, trying to be a young hip lad, but constantly unsure of where she was supposed to be. June was left alone on the stage on several occasions, whilst other characters exited to deal with the chaos surrounding them. Nicola Hollow made a convincing show of Thelma not knowing what to do to fill the gap, by walking up and down and grinning at the audience. If you are not already a little perplexed, you soon will be! Holly Seijo, as Jasmine, played four different male roles. Her yokel had a convincing west country accent and Arnold Death, Dr Blood and Reverend Tombs posed manfully and delivered forceful phrases, such as 'hush, walls have ears' spoken by all three characters! Jasmine had a baby, Laura, who had to be brought into the play as she was crying backstage, so was carried on when Jasmine arrived as Dr Blood. From 'his' doctor's bag 'he' produced a baby's comforter, which 'he' put into June's mouth to take her temperature. 'He' used a stethoscope to wrap round June's arm to gauge blood pressure, giving her a teddy to squeeze in her hand. This was followed by a tap on June's knee and Dr Blood announcing "good, there's nothing wrong with your adenoids". In the next scene - a sceance - Laura was brought on in a pram, with Jasmine, as Reverend Tombs, rocking it to supposedly keep the baby quiet. There were too many humorous moments to mention them all but particular highlights were a cleverly acted phone call between Jasmine, as Arnold Death, and Mrs Reece, as Mrs Slaughter (matron of a children's home where June grew up), where the lines were back to front, causing confusion; and Lottie, as Marty, declaring 'we have our whole lives ahead of us' when it was clear she was unrealistically playing a young man, fluffing her lines and irritating Thelma with her confusion. There were two other main roles: Lady Madge Graves, played by Sue Williams, playing Mrs Reece, with great aplomb and exaggerated dramatic gestures; and Felicity as Crematia the Maid, played by Louise Friend with much humour, eye rolling and macabre intonations. The basic plot was the frustration of the FAHETGDS actors over the disasters surrounding them with the wrong sets, doors and pictures falling off, people being in the wrong place - being on stage when they should not have been and props not being there at all! After the interval, the final of The Poetry Competition, run by the FAHE Townswomen's Guild, had three contestants, with the winning poem being about Tupperware, based on Wordsworth's Daffodil poem. This was presented by Edna Walker, playing herself, and received riotous applause and laughter. Sue Williams, in character as Mrs Reece, made various cutting asides to add to the sarcasm, as Edna was an outsider - from Farnborough Townswomen's Guild - winning the poet laureate award., putting the FAHETGDS women's noses out of joint. Act 2 of the FAHETGDS play followed this interlude, gradually building to an unbelievable climax with Mrs Reece/Lady Madge Graves delivering the final line with gleeful horror. This was yet another enjoyable excursion to Farnborough Village Hall for an excellent evening's entertainment. Congratulations to all concerned. Margot Rohan
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