THERMAL UNDERWEAR Director Donna Wood LAST TANGO IN LITTLE GRIMLEY Director Paul Jameson St Joseph’s Players Nomadic as a result of their venue still being closed due to the pandemic, this band of strolling players took two one act players to their local Labour Club. Instead of an audience going to the theatre, theatre was taken to find an audience. Opera North did this with their “Puccini and a Pint” evenings. The performance was sold out to regulars but also to new first time attendees of a drama. This experience must have been very rewarding for the group. This evening of laugh-out-loud comedies began with Andrew Davies drama ‘Thermal Underwear’ about the Hudd’s wedding anniversary when friends and family gather to celebrate. Things are not as happy as they seem between the couple. Add into the mix creaking floorboard and a leaking pipe and you have the ingredients for a super comdy.. A set of “blacks” and furniture was all that was needed for the drama to unfold. The playing space only allowed minimum movement, and comedy is so difficult to get right , so it was the dialogue that had to do all the work. Elaine Hudd’s (Clare Nash) and Bob Hudd’s (Wayne Lythgoe) odd behaviour is the bedrock for the piece. The two actors established the Hudd’s true feelings for each other making way for all the interplay. The mixture of characters promoted the comedy, with Shirley (Margaret Hall), and bohemian sister, Geraldine (Kitti Dixon). all contributing to the escalating comic situation. Katherine Roberts, as Mum, and David Farrell, as Dad, had the lion’s share of comic lines. Katherine was very much in the Thora Hird mould, with pointed delivery and lovely timing.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODU3MzQ=