Association of Community Theatre

WHAT i DID AT SCHOOL TODAY

By John Mee

Burnley Garrick

Directed by Kevin Kay

 

 

As with any review, any conclusions drawn are just one person’s view and opinion.  The proof of success of any production, therefore, lies in the overall audience reaction.  Just think of how Les Misérables was greeted by the critics and reviewers and berated when first presented. With Burnley Garrick’s presentation of a début play by a tyro playwright one is faced with a double challenge, first to review the performances and second, to review, and comment on, the play.

 

I shall concentrate on the performances.

 

Kevin Kay had chosen a predominantly young cast to perform this school, staff-room based, play and what a superb portrayal each of them made of his or her respective character.

 

Jamie-Leigh Hindman portrayed Maxine McManus, the school caretaker and she gave a superb performance.  I have never seen Jamie-Leigh give a bad performance, even in smaller roles. She commands the stage whenever she appears.  This was an excellent portrayal, and done as professionally as Stan in the TV series, “Dinnerladies”.

 

Mrs. Jubb, the school secretary, was played by an almost unrecognisable Becky Wright.  Becky is another actor who never gives a bad performance and she must have been a joy to direct as the somewhat ditsy widowed secretary.

 

The headmaster of the Lloyd George Junior & Infants school was in his element.  An ex headteacher in real life, Neil Tranmer took the character of Clive Beasley by the scruff of the neck and imbued it with an opportunistic, self-aggrandising thoroughly believable persona.  This was an excellent portrayal.

 

Dan Thompson, the supply teacher drafted in to help with whatever class was free at the time, was in his element as the hapless male on a staff of women teachers.  Gary Leonard, strutting around in his ultra short shorts which would have done credit to Kenneth from “Benidorm”, played this role with panache.

 

Laura Kay was cast in the role of Kate Faraday, a year 5 teacher, who had known, and been the girl-friend of Dan, at University. His arrival on the scene meant a rekindling of that friendship. They gave a gentle performance made thoroughly believable in the interplay between Laura and Gary.

 

Jenny Peasgood, a year 4 teacher, was played by Jenny Gill, making her debut appearance with the Garrick.  The role calls for a diffident character, more at home in academia than in a junior school, who would prefer to write a behavioural manual than teach.  The scene with the guitar and her attempted rendition of “Kumbaya” was very funny indeed.  A very polished performance.

 

An outstanding performance came from Kayleigh Hindle, as Liz Nicholas, a year 3 teacher with a penchant for food and men, and not necessarily in that order.  Her scene on the chairs in the staffroom was very well performed, never going too far and fully in control of events unfolding.  It was very funny and thoroughly in keeping with the role.

 

In any large cast play, there are a number of smaller roles.  The roles might be smaller but they are equally important.  Sian Maymond, another actor making her debut with the Garrick, gave a very skilled performance as the somewhat dour, with little to say Pat Lowther, the infants’ teacher.  Although on stage for a great deal of time, Sian never came out of character and was excellent in delivering pointed lines.  Well done.

 

There were three characters introduced which were essentially walk-on roles.  With very little dialogue each actor had to establish the character immediately. Louise Young as Mrs Smedley-Allen, the seemingly trophy wife of Mr Smedley-Allen, played by Jonathan Pye, had very few lines but immediately created a flamboyant character in dress and mannerisms.  Jonathan, as the rich businessman also fulfilled his role admirably.

 

The final character on the scene was Councillor Tate, played in fine form by another excellent actress, Hannah Rigby.  With possibly only four lines of dialogue, she immediately dominated the scene as she dragged the headmaster off to the office.  Very well played.

 

The properties, and costumes for the play were very true to life. Thank you for creating a prop out of the Act in Action magazine.

 

A mainly curtained set, with the window flat stage right and working coat hanger up stage left, a sink, chairs and low table were all that were required to established the various scenes of the play. The lighting cues were well timed.

 

Directing a multi-scened, large cast play virtually from scratch is no easy task as there was no acting edition of the play to assist. It takes a great deal of thought, planning and rehearsal to achieve a production ready to be presented to an audience.  The director had worked miracles in bringing all the various strands of this play together to create an excellent evening’s entertainment.

 

Kevin Kay should be proud of his cast for presenting the play which clearly delighted his first night audience.