Shorter comments on the plays this morning ... I have a job to go to, in fewer minutes than I care to think about at this point! Also, I am keeping one ear on Radio Orkney, to keep up with the emerging [thawing, shurely? Ed.] snow situation.
Ad Hoc Players: Birdcalls
a drama by Lesley Glaister, directed by Vivia Leslie
Ad Hoc Players do what they say in their name. If they see a play they would like to do, and can get together an ..erm.. ad hoc team to perform it, that is what they do. (I need to declare an interest: I was part of a previous Ad Hoc production, in a year when I was not required for the plays entered by the club which claimed my my natural allegiance. There is a mistaken perception by one or two people that Ad Hoc cherry picks - poaches even - from other clubs. This is a false perception, as a cursory look at the list of those who have appeared in their productions would make clear.)
This play was as powerful and affecting a piece of theatre as I have ever seen. The director created something really fabulous, in partership with two actors (Joyce Moore, playing Ruby; and Rosie Wallace, playing Betty), and a backstage team of no fewer than 7 (led by stage manager George Moore, and individually credited in the programme, which was a nice touch).
I really cannot do better than paraphrase the adjudicator's summing up of this performance: although there was an issue with projection from both actors, every word was heard by the audience, as we were drawn in to the action by the sensitivity, warmth and depth of the performances. The only other issue with the production (and neither the adjudicator nor I can think of exactly how to address this, but I am certain the company will have some ideas to improve this, given a bit of time in a theatre) was that the very demanding changes between the 5 (approx!) scenes were fractionally (in one case significantly) too long. However: the production was well-thought through, effectively and movingly portraying (through the action, the words said, the silences kept, and the visual and aural style consistently applied) a dilema faced by 2 people after a 50 year relationship. And it made me (not sure about the adjudicator - he sits at the back, after all!) cry.
Palace Players (Bishops): The Yellow Folk
an original comedy by Thomas P Andrews, directed by Graham MacDonald
I love the plays written by this author for this group. They are fun, informative and challenging to stage. I would list the cast, but there were so many changes from the information in the programme, I got a bit lost. (Also, was it me, or were there more actors on the stage than were announced? I thought I recognised at least one face that was definitely not announced!) This appeared to be more a case of a change of direction during the rehearsal period (but after the early February programme deadline), than a case of last minute substitution of any person who would fit the costumes! [If the director will send me the cast list I will update this post. Ed.]
I agreed with the adjudicator in his analysis of this performance [Too much agreement with the adjudicator. Dangerous. Ed.] with : it had all the ingredients, and some great moments, but it needed a bit of work to resolve some production and technical/acting issues (including using more effectively one side of the the stage - a fairly substantial area, on a fairly small stage); given the 1st World War theme of the piece, I began to wonder if half of the stage was a literal minefield, so reluctant seemed the cast to step into it!!).
Birsay Drama Group (Greenay): Cinderella
a comedy by Michael Green, directed by Margaret Irvine.
Normally, if the only good things you can say about a play is that the opening music was good, and the costumes very effective, the director would perhaps object. In this case I hope she will not be too upset if I just say that (other than those 2 things, and in some ways, including them) everything that could possibly be wrong with a performance of Cinderalla was on display during the 45 minutes or so of this performance. As a member of the audience was heard to say:
"I laughed so much, I cannot really cope with this. Any of us sitting in the
audience could get some of these things wrong, but it takes real skill
to make such a horlicks of a such a simple, well-known story. But it
does make you wonder why we normally drag a pantomime out to 2 or 3
hours!" - a prominent Orkney East Mainlander [paraphrased]
I am getting bored saying "Congratulations to Birsay Drama Group!", but ....
Congratulations to Birsay Drama Group!!There are "only" 2 Birsay plays this year, and we have seen them both now, so surely I won't have to say that again this week ...........................
Moving on ......
It is even more difficult to get tickets for the final night of any drama festival. It would be wrong to suggest that the competitive spirit is the only reason for this. In this case, it is probably that everyone wants to mix with the other teams at the after-show party at the Sailing Club, Shore Street, Kirkwall: I'll certainly be there, and I hope you will be too. Whatever the reason, and even if there are no tickets available in advance, if you would like to see the plays tonight (Friday 26 Feb), please consider turning up at the Orkney Arts Theatre from 6.30 onwards (prompt 7.00 start) to see if the weather has put anyone off using their ticket, or if there is an "unmissable" live episode of some contuining drama on the TV which someone would rather watch: some people really would pass up the chance to see tonight's show for such reasons. Incredible, but true!
Tonight's plays will (unless prevented by unforeseen circumstances) be:
Stromness Academy Players: Ernie's Incredible Illucinations
by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by Emma Grieve. Youth entry [Entry by young people under the age of 18, shurely? Ed.]
Deerness Drama Group: Terrorism
by the Presnyakov Brothers, translated by Sasha Dugdale, and directed by Gill Smee and Chris Giles. Adult content. [No comment. Ed.]
Stromness Drama Club: Blood Brothers
by Willy Russell, directed by Rhiannon Reilly.
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