by Terence Rattigan. Produced by Winifred M Bryant assisted by Eileen Van Tromp - click to enlarge
The West Chiltington Players presented Flare Path with Verve; the comedy especially was always tackled with a confident sparkle. If the emotional scenes did not quite reach this standard, nevertheless every member of the cast played with sincerity. The set was excellent and the sound effects and lighting so convincingly supported the fine acting in the second act, when the planes are leaving for Germany, that I caught myself leaning forward, anxiously peering towards the window. Bernard Crabb is an exceptional actor and, in the part of the Sergeant, gave himself to the audience with professional punch. He was splendidly partnered by Winifred Bryant, who played his wife with a high sense of comedy. Excellent work was done by David Davis, as the Polish airman, Marguerite Judd as his wife, Staley Gooch as Squadron Leader Swanson, Constance Hemsley as Mrs Oakes and Fred Gumbrell as Percy. Eric Tavender played the film star, but this sincere actor was badly miscast, while Mary Myram, who has a lovely voice, is not yet experienced enough to cope with the exacting part of the glamorous and distraught Patricia Graham. Packed audiences paid tribute to this exciting and convincing production.
by Philip King. Produced by Winifred M Bryant and Eileen Van Tromp - click to enlarge
The Drossmouth Repertory Company are holding the second rehearsal of a new play which is due to open next Monday. The proceedings are complicated by an incomplete set and the cast not knowing their lines. The unexpected appearance of the author does not improve the situation.
The pupils and teachers of St Swithin’s girls’ school are relocated to alternative accommodation as their own school has been a casualty of wartime bombing. Thanks to a bureaucratic mix-up, they end up sharing the quarters of a boys’ school.
by Edward Percy - click to enlarge
A French antique dealer with a shady past lives a comfortable life in London. He cares only for his daughter who is trying to become a successful concert violinist. When his shop assistant discovers that much of his employer’s money comes from fencing stolen goods, he attempts blackmail.
Henry Pugh owns the Wishing Well Inn. The nearby well is a great selling point to attract guests and Henry does his best to make any wishes a guest makes come true.
by Emlyn Williams - click to enlarge
A semi-autobiographical play about a teacher's mission to bring education to a Welsh mining village.
A young couple's plans for their wedding are undermined by the constant interruptions of their relatives.
by Ben Travers. Produced by Sylvia Williams - click to enlarge
Having broken down while giving Marguerite a lift, Peter is forced to pretend they are a married couple in order to book a room in a wayside inn, under the disapproving eye of the forbidding landlady. Various outraged relatives arrive and there are plenty of very funny complications before the inevitable happy ending.