“Summer Shorts”
a review by Lindsey Ostrowski
Crieff Drama Group’s Summer Shorts was a bold departure from their traditional seasonal appearances, April and October. But judging from the June audiences turning out in healthy numbers, their decision was a good one. The style of show was also a first, a programme of six short comedies and the use of two separate stages in the Strathearn Arts’ auditorium. As well as two evening performances on Friday and Saturday, 10th and 11th of June there was a matinee on the Saturday complete with afternoon tea, table-served in the interval.
In Part One Forever True was by Neil Walden and featured Ann Morrison as Hannah and Mike Owens as Paul. As they meet in a pub, it becomes increasingly apparent that Paul has difficulty with the truth as he digs himself deeper and deeper into trouble, compounding lie upon lie with hilarious consequences. It transpires he has ‘pseudo logia fantastica’ - he is a pathological liar. Ann and Mike were touchingly truthful in their performance, especially as Paul’s condition was finally revealed.
In Edgeways by Dorothy Lambert, Kate Beauchamp and Martin Brunton play Jaqui and Marcus. The setting is a high office block rooftop where Jaqui appears in shower cap and dressing gown to ‘rescue’ Marcus who is at the roof’s vertiginous edge. She had seen him from her apartment across the street as she had come out of the shower, however he seems oddly unwilling to engage with Jaqui’s clumsy attempt to talk him out of his suicide jump. It turns out he works in the office below and regularly goes to the roof for a cigarette break. Kate Beauchamp was perfect as the excitable and cringingly ‘caring’ do-gooder, while Martin Brunton, new to the Group’s drama stage, was urbanely convincing as the unflappable businessman.
Mike Owens (Alf) and Alan Blair (Charlie) play a pair of absentminded ‘seniors’ enjoying a quiet drink in The Weatherman by Giles Cole. They’re both attempting to recall the name of a TV weather presenter, which takes them on a rambling conversational journey that never actually reaches the name in question. Alan and Mike were beautifully matched in what was a subtly timed and gentle performance. Both actors must take credit for their success with what was a very nuanced and intricate script.
In Part Two, Martin Dew returned to Crieff Drama’s cast (he now lives in Errol) as a car driver struggling with a satnav that has taken on an all-too-human attitude in Tony Cottrell’s fantasy comedy Going All The Way. Fiona Wellstood was sharply expressive as the bossy voice of the satnav. Martin Brunton was wholly convincing as a traffic policeman. Perfect casting, as he once was a member of the force!
A new play, Afternoon Tea, was penned by Fiona Wellstood. Joyce (Ann Morrison) meets Brenda (Kate Beauchamp) for afternoon tea. But their tranquility is repeatedly interrupted by the tearoom’s piano playing (Alison Hunter) as she mimics the duo’s conversation with cheeky tunes. It was a precision piece for all three performers, and carried off expertly. In the end, the pianist’s performance turned out to be her last. Helen Day as Daisy and Mags Duncan as Frieda were wonderfully expressive in A Load of Bull by Tony Cottrell. In a cleverly constructed script it was tricky to work out that they were both playing cows in a milking parlour. They won us over with their bovine, lazy moves - so expressive. In total, Summer Shorts was a complex production that ran seamlessly and for that credit must go to the joint directors - Fiona Wellstood for Afternoon Tea and A Load of Bull; Gordon N Campbell for Forever True, Edgeways and Going All The Way; John Cummings for The Weatherman.
There were of course many others members involved in backstage and front of house tasks all essential to the production, unfortunately too many to credit here. As ever, Crieff Drama Group continues to provided live theatre entertainment of a high standard. Next one please.
Lindsey Ostrowski
a review by Lindsey Ostrowski
Crieff Drama Group’s Summer Shorts was a bold departure from their traditional seasonal appearances, April and October. But judging from the June audiences turning out in healthy numbers, their decision was a good one. The style of show was also a first, a programme of six short comedies and the use of two separate stages in the Strathearn Arts’ auditorium. As well as two evening performances on Friday and Saturday, 10th and 11th of June there was a matinee on the Saturday complete with afternoon tea, table-served in the interval.
In Part One Forever True was by Neil Walden and featured Ann Morrison as Hannah and Mike Owens as Paul. As they meet in a pub, it becomes increasingly apparent that Paul has difficulty with the truth as he digs himself deeper and deeper into trouble, compounding lie upon lie with hilarious consequences. It transpires he has ‘pseudo logia fantastica’ - he is a pathological liar. Ann and Mike were touchingly truthful in their performance, especially as Paul’s condition was finally revealed.
In Edgeways by Dorothy Lambert, Kate Beauchamp and Martin Brunton play Jaqui and Marcus. The setting is a high office block rooftop where Jaqui appears in shower cap and dressing gown to ‘rescue’ Marcus who is at the roof’s vertiginous edge. She had seen him from her apartment across the street as she had come out of the shower, however he seems oddly unwilling to engage with Jaqui’s clumsy attempt to talk him out of his suicide jump. It turns out he works in the office below and regularly goes to the roof for a cigarette break. Kate Beauchamp was perfect as the excitable and cringingly ‘caring’ do-gooder, while Martin Brunton, new to the Group’s drama stage, was urbanely convincing as the unflappable businessman.
Mike Owens (Alf) and Alan Blair (Charlie) play a pair of absentminded ‘seniors’ enjoying a quiet drink in The Weatherman by Giles Cole. They’re both attempting to recall the name of a TV weather presenter, which takes them on a rambling conversational journey that never actually reaches the name in question. Alan and Mike were beautifully matched in what was a subtly timed and gentle performance. Both actors must take credit for their success with what was a very nuanced and intricate script.
In Part Two, Martin Dew returned to Crieff Drama’s cast (he now lives in Errol) as a car driver struggling with a satnav that has taken on an all-too-human attitude in Tony Cottrell’s fantasy comedy Going All The Way. Fiona Wellstood was sharply expressive as the bossy voice of the satnav. Martin Brunton was wholly convincing as a traffic policeman. Perfect casting, as he once was a member of the force!
A new play, Afternoon Tea, was penned by Fiona Wellstood. Joyce (Ann Morrison) meets Brenda (Kate Beauchamp) for afternoon tea. But their tranquility is repeatedly interrupted by the tearoom’s piano playing (Alison Hunter) as she mimics the duo’s conversation with cheeky tunes. It was a precision piece for all three performers, and carried off expertly. In the end, the pianist’s performance turned out to be her last. Helen Day as Daisy and Mags Duncan as Frieda were wonderfully expressive in A Load of Bull by Tony Cottrell. In a cleverly constructed script it was tricky to work out that they were both playing cows in a milking parlour. They won us over with their bovine, lazy moves - so expressive. In total, Summer Shorts was a complex production that ran seamlessly and for that credit must go to the joint directors - Fiona Wellstood for Afternoon Tea and A Load of Bull; Gordon N Campbell for Forever True, Edgeways and Going All The Way; John Cummings for The Weatherman.
There were of course many others members involved in backstage and front of house tasks all essential to the production, unfortunately too many to credit here. As ever, Crieff Drama Group continues to provided live theatre entertainment of a high standard. Next one please.
Lindsey Ostrowski
