—Alexander Haigh reviews Drama Society’s take on Tennessee Williams
Sceptical in the ways of the theatre critic, I entered the Lawns Centre to watch this Drama Society production. As is always the way with theatre (in my opinion) I go feeling reluctant and leave uplifted. The show was fantastic, featuring some amazing comic and dramatic acting.
However, the venue itself was a disaster. The Lawns is just not the place to put on a play. Where I was sitting during the show, I had to contend with the annoying light of the sound and lighting technicians. Not specifically their fault obviously, but it occasionally brought me back to reality when I’d rather have stayed in the show’s atmosphere.
The actors showed some real professionalism and class, keeping me entertained and amused for the whole
three or so hours. There was the occasional slip-up or loss of concentration, but rather few and far between. I was particularly impressed with Steve Marsden playing the part of Stanley, whom I thought was
fantastic throughout. Having said this, I was impressed with all the actors, and it did in fact surpass some professional productions I’ve seen in my time. One stumbling block at the end was the curtain call – I felt that it wasn’t rehearsed, and it seemed very clumsy after all the fantastic acting. It might be only a bow,
but it’s the last thing your audience will see and I always think it’s important.
The directors Vicky Allen and Andrew Corless are to be commended, having to deal with a change of venue and performance dates, let alone creating the production itself. They are to be congratulated; they put on a show they can really be proud of.
Overall, I had a really enjoyable evening. There was some real attention to detail, in particular during the interval, there was some jazz music being sung which added some variety and made the interval a part of the show. I’m happy to say although it was my first Drama Society event; it will not be my last.
Alexander Haigh
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