Silchester Players

The old panto story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a big hit with village children when Silchester Players staged a colourful show in the local hall at the weekend.

While attractive Tracey Rowan did well in the lead role as the heroine the youngsters gave a great reception to Keith Percival as the forester and John Birtill and Peter Clarke as the jesters.

The players were formed out of the group that staged a hit old-time music hall last year.  But this time the children got a chance to star.

And the magnificent seven of Adrian Marchbank, Jill Barnett, Nigel Marchbank, Leslie Stanhope, Rachel Mansfield, Andrew Rowan and Penny Rowson won the praise of the mums and dads.  They were all great but Adrian deserved special mention as the Dwarfs' leader Doc.

Jill Mansfield was clever and humorous in her interpretation of the nasty queen (later turned good) and Shelagh Brinkman was full of poise as the Prince.

Ten out of ten for stage manager Rex Monger and producer John Lewis plus all their aides for inventive and colourful backdrops.

Mirror, mirror on the wall — Snow White is at Silchester village hall.

And naturally she is not alone.  As always the seven dwarfs help here against the wicked queen, played by Jill Mansfield (pictured paying forester Keith Percival to do away with her).

Tracey Rowan plays Snow White in the Silchester Players' pantomime, with performances today, tomorrow and Saturday.

Silchester Players are putting on a victorian melodrama — Maria Marten.

With the alternative title, The Red Barn, it is based on the story of Maria Marten who lived at the beginning of the 19th century and was seduced by the local squire's son.

She had a child and the squire's son murdered both of them.  But Maria's mother had a strange dream about where the bodies were hidden and the murderer was tracked down.

In this version by Brian J. Burton the Silchester Players have found room for some songs and some comedy.

The squire's son is being played by John Davies and Jill Mansfield plays Maria.

The play is at the Village Hall tomorrow, Friday and Saturday at 8pm.

Victorian melodrama drew the crowds to Silchester Village Hall for the presentation of the Murder of Maria Marten by Silchester Players.

Two of the three performances were completely sold out.  The sinister happenings at the Red Barn proved as fascinating as ever, with Silchester artist John Davis cast as the villain William Corder.

Jill Mansfield was the poor innocent Maria trapped into a situation which led to her untimely death.  John Hatch was in the role of her father, with Shelagh Brinkman as Mrs Marten.

Chris Street appeared as the truly country yokel Tom Bobbin and Olive Plank as the gypsy.  Carol Street was Maria's sister Ann.

Production was by Debbie Josephs.  The attractive costumes were provided by Chris Utton.  Peter Goodyear and Norman Utton were responsible for the set.

Perhaps it is about time for Maria Marten to become a modern miss or be given a miss.

At the age of 175, Maria Marten seems, to be losing her charm and creaking like an old woman.

Yet amateur theatrical societies still seem intent on getting one last performance out of the old lady.  And the truth is that ags is showing for Maria Marten, or The Red Barn, as the Victorian melodrama is alternatively called.

The values of morality, humour and dialogue that scored so well with the Victorian audiences are missing the bullseye as far as modern audiences are concerned.  Silchester Players' production last week seemed to prove that point.

Invited to hiss the villain, weep with the heroine and applaud the triumph of justice, the audience tried, but failed.  It's difficult to show emotion publicly, even falsely, if you can't believe in its cause.

Perhaps Maria Marten should be updated with a few modern day values humorously inserted, the Old England image retained, and the whole thing played as an adult pantomime.

Silchester Players meandered somewhere in between.  There were sparks of humour as the actors let their own personalities loose on the script to arouse and amuse the audience, but the 14 scenes, three acts, two intervals and three-hour length of the production finally won the day.

The exaggerated characterisation necessary in melodrama was best shown by John Davis as William Corder the villain; Jill Mansfield in the title role; Chris Street as the village fool Tom Bobbin, and Carole Street as Anne Marten.

But suffice it to say that the greatest audience reaction came when Corder's death-cell guard entered doing a creditable impersonation of Quasimodo !