Bombshells…….A Roaring Success
Packed audiences were treated to a gem of a performance by Penrith Players last week (Nov 10th-12th 2016). Billed ‘as observant as anything in Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads’ this it had a lot to live up to.
Staged in the intimate setting of the Playhouse Bar area with a minimal set, the production relied heavily on the acting abilities of five very strong women, each able to hold the stage alone and strike chord after chord with their audience.
In choosing “Bombshells” by Joanna Murray-Smith, director Lizzie Acland had landed a ‘jaw-droppingly good’ script and made it fly. All five actors grasped the challenge of a monologue and held the stage singlehanded, not missing a beat.They spun on a sixpence with a myriad of emotions, holding the audience in the palm of a hand making us laugh and cry , reflect and remember.
The harassed young mother was played with palpable frustration and humdrum weariness by Tracy Swan. Viv Moules sensitively brought us the betrayed and deserted wife, desperately trying to hold her life together. Newcomer to the Players, Catherine Divers gave a confident performance as the competitive teenager. Diverse characters, brought to life with verve, energy and vitality.
The theatrical delights continued after the interval with the beautiful bride ( Emma Johnson) dressing in excited anticipation for her wedding, full of hope that was destined to be dashed on the rocks of doubt and confusion. The final offering was from Louise Hodson as Winsome Webster, a feisty widow. A finely honed and sensitive study of one woman’s bereavement journey, achingly sad, poignant and hilariously funny in rapid succession.
The whole evening was a real treat and credit to the Players. A performance that any professional group would be proud of.
The monologues were directed by Lizzie Acland and stage managed by Roger Bird, assisted by Nik Shaw. Lighting Design was by Matty
Collingwood, Costumes by the cast and Props by June Jameson and Diane Rylands.
A.R.