October 1998

A music-hall style production featuring songs, sketches, the melodrama Temptation Sordid and the spoof whodunnit, Streuth.

Cast

Temptation Sordid

Lady Lucre Chris Squire
Arabella Ruth West
Clarence Mike Crawshaw
Sir Jasper Breakneck John Staton
Fanny Jill Mowlam
Chairman George Muller

Streuth

The Inspector Barry West
Mr Oliver D’arcy Dan Hawkins
Mrs D’arcy Chris Squire
Hubert D’arcy Paul West
The Major Cath Staton
The Vicar (villain) Alan Geary
James George Muller
Cook Jill Mowlam
Prompt Sarah Lawes
Vicar (introduction) Joseph Hughes

Crew

Producers (plays) Joseph Hughes/Hazel Galvin
Producers (music) Brenda West/Cath Staton
Stage Manager Jim Melvile
Set Design Christopher Sutton
Set Construction Members of the Group
Backstage Jim Melville/Christine Sutton/Graham Kerr
Props Ian Squire
Lighting Craig Eady
Sound Chris Pearson
Costumes Jenny Blake
Prompt Sarah Lawes
Music Jenny Smith
Promotion Joseph Hughes
Ticket Sales Ken Beer
Front of House Members of the Group
Kitchen Members of the Group

Review

The Leamington Courier:

Not Enough Old-Timers to Have a Good Time

The problem with trying to create an atmosphere of old time theatre in a modern village must surely be attaining instant, and lasting, audience response.

The goodwill was there for the first offering, Temptation Sordid, a melodrama very well acted by the lively cast including Chris Squire as Lady Lucre, Ruth West as her daughter, Mike Crawshaw as the lover, John Staton as the villain (hiss), George Muller as Chairman and an outstanding Jill Mowlam as the femme fatale.

She went on to score a notable double in the modest role of cook in the farce Streuth. The trouble was that, after the interval, a sketch about constant interruption of a peotry recital lost its hold on the audience and Streuth relied so heavily on repeated skits of play acting – missed cues, repitition, scenery collapses and so on.

Cast members of Streuth were Barry West, Dan Hawkins, Chris Squire, Paul West, Cath Staton, Alan Geary, George Muller, Jill Mowlam, Sarah Lawes and Joseph Hughes. Parlour performances at the piano were by Jenny Smith and the play producers were Joseph Hughes and Hazel Galvin.

When we asked why so few joined in the song choruses we were told the audience was too young to know the words. Well, perhaps that’s a hopeful sign for the future. 3/5