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David Porter » Entries tagged with "drama"

Handbagged

Handbagged at the Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 12 November 2015 Handbagged? Well, The Audience featuring the imaginary conversations between The Queen and her 12 Prime Ministers in their weekly meetings has already been a stage hit. Now it’s just Her Majesty and Mrs Thatcher. Liz versus Maggie, two powerful women born in the same year is a comedy that speculates what these two women, these icons of power in different ways actually talked about in private. Or they might have done. Critically acclaimed as witty, confident, mischievous and clever it’s ‘tea at four, handbags at dawn’ subtly moving from slapstick to the real stuffing of life as the women look back on their younger selves in what could have become a history lesson but is priceless theatre. Moira Buffini’s West … Read entire article »

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Rope

Rope by Stuff of Dreams Theatre Company Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 2 November 2013   Growing in stature, Stuff of Dreams have embraced another challenge for their latest tour with the 1929 Patrick Hamilton play, Rope, adapted by Hitchcock for his film of the same name. On the surface a classic thriller with a very dark story, it’s also a psychological drama exploring the mind of a killer (Tom Moran) who is both disturbed/unstable and compelling/charming aided by a weaker sidekick (Eliot Ruocco-Trenouth). Two young men strangle a friend for little more motive than that they could, the ‘perfect crime.’ His body lies in a chest that serves as a table from which guests including the deceased’s father eat a meal. One guest (Elliott Hughes) is suspicious, detective-like and probes away … Read entire article »

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Calendar Girls

Lowestoft Players, at The Bethel Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 25 September and Lowestoft Journal 4 October 2013   The well-known story from the film about the real Yorkshire Women’s Institute branch who made a calendar to raise funds for the cancer unit of Skipton hospital, is wonderfully, poignantly told by the Lowestoft Players. Exploiting the intimacy of their own theatre, director Stephen Wilson skilfully puts his lively and very funny women through the well-written script and brings the village community atmosphere truly alive. When the gentle John (Andrew Liddon) dies and the tiny WI branch embraces the risks of posing discretely and tastefully nude for their calendar, we see friendships exposed, often with hurtful truths as well as jovial banter. Judi Mars, Jill Emmerson, Lorna Tucker, Jean Kinkaid, Julia Rymer and Toni Penson … Read entire article »

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An Inspector Calls

Open Space Theatre at the Fisher Theatre, Bungay Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 16 September 2013 JB Priestley’s masterfully crafted tale of lies, self-delusion and guilt is touring our region by the respected Open Space group. It’s a dance round suspicions and characters with things to hide, lives turned upside down, reputations destroyed and generational perspectives. Director David Green cleverly balances moods, tensions and undercurrents. Peter Sowerbutts plays the pompous head of the family with his business under threat; Yves Green his equally insufferable wife. Cathy Gill is their daughter, a young woman with a conscience, engaged to an unlikeable, shifty younger version of her father, played by Darren France. Warwick Manning portrays the hapless, ne’er-do-well younger son and Tim Hall presents the mysterious Inspector who mercilessly peels away their outer coats … Read entire article »

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Finding Joy

Vamos Theatre, at the Maddermarket, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 15 July 2013 A timely tale – Finding Joy – of an old lady, daughter and grandson was turned into an original, moving piece of theatre that ‘looked beyond the dementia to the person’. Directed by Rachael Savage, four superb actors in masks by Russell Dean played eight slightly exaggerated stereotypical but absorbing and believable characters. We laughed at their actions, cried at the sadness of the hospital ward and gulped as we realised the truths they’d observed and portrayed about aging and caring. There was age-confusion and generational differences. She was not as daft as people thought she was, never parted from her handbag but used toothpaste as hand cream. The youth gently putting his grandmother to bed was touching; the mother’s … Read entire article »

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