Silchester Players

Pantomime returns to Silchester Village Hall when Sleeping Beauty takes the stage.  One hundred years of sleep will be broken with a gentle kiss if our handsome prince can rescue our fair maiden — but that's giving the plot away isn't it?

The production is being put on by the highly praised Silchester Players and the curtain goes up on January 25 at 7.30pm.

Young Lucy Taylor makes her acting debut in the title role but if she ever gets nervous then help will be waiting in the wings.  For Lucy's mother, Janet is playing one of the comedy roles.  At 17 years old the role will be a challenge for her but there has been no sign of nerves at rehearsals.

Shows start on January 25 and run on January 26, and February 1 and 2 at 7.30pm and on Saturday there is a matinee performance at 2.30pm.

Silchester Players' production of 'The Sleeping Beauty' was enthusiastically received by the local audience.  It was a colourful show, the product of a great deal of hard work.

A lively set of characters took us through this well loved tale: Barbara Fairbrother pleasantly portrayed Fairy Starlight, and Marilyn Fowler was particularly effective as the wicked fairy Somnia.  Keith Graham (Queen Mae) gave us a robust and amusing Dame and comedy was also provided by Robert Whitehead (King Kiddem), Ian Keetch (Pickles) and two yellow-coated characters Rolls and Royce (Janice How and Janet Taylor) Hi de hi!  Lucy Taylor sweetly depicted Princess Beauty and Val Richards gave a sincere performance as Prince Charming.

Considering the limited facilities, the staging was good, with colourful scenery and good contrast in the interiors and exteriors.  The Ultra Violet Scene in which the Dragon was slain was a nice touch.  The costumes were attractive — the chorus sets being particularly attractive.

Stephen Oliver provided the accompaniment for the varied musical numbers, the staging of which was simetimes a little ragged and under produced.  My other criticism is that at times the principals did not project enough to make it come over in true panto style.  Having said that, producers Janet and Brian Hope are to be praised for a most agreeable and enjoyable production.

Silchester Players' pantomime The Sleeping Beauty was memorable for touches of ingenuity, especially for the atomic rejuvenator, an appropriate innovation by villagers living so close to the AWRE, Aldermaston.

Those two confederates of idle mischief Janice How and Janet Taylor as Rolls and Royce went even one better than surrogate childbearing.  Their infernal machine could transfer the ailments of one individual to another, including having a baby, for, by the flick of a switch, the almost fully developed embryo was also switched from one womb to another and in this instance twins.

What an idea to have another mum endure the pains of childbirth!  But anything can happen in pantomime, even dragons and bears suddenly appearing to be easily slain and in the case of the bear, the dame, Keith Graham as Queen Mae returning, not only with the head of her victim but wearing a fur coat ofter the monster had been skinned.

The script by Jack Hilton, with modifications, was good and ingenious with a dialogue of proprietary brand names and a song for audience participation embodying many seaside mouths — Exmouth, Sidmouth, Dartmouth and Lynmouth.

Outstanding in the cast was Marilyn Fowler as Somnia, the witch, whose comings and goings coincided with the eerie sounds which thundered out from the side of the stage.  Her diction and actions were superb throughout.  Of course, she was often in confrontation with the good fairy, Fairy Starlight, played by Barbara Fairbrother.

The tall Val Richards made a most appealing Prince Charming with Lucy Taylor as the young Princess Beauty, who sang the Matchmaker from Fiddler on the Roof.

The vocal numbers were all of a popular kind, ranging from My Ole Man's a Dustman to Percy Grainger's Country Gardens.  From Somewhere My Love to Happy Days Are Here Again.

Robert Whitehead was a very well bred King Kiddem playing the part so very correctly as a royal personage and contrasting so vividly with the antics of the dame.

Ian Keetch, as the yokel Pickles, worked very hard to be convincing and allowed himself to be outwitted by the young performer Katie Richards, who was excellent in the question scene featuring Little Miss Muffet.  Kerry Smith and Tim Oliver did all that was required as Betty and Reginald.

I was very impressed with the dresses, especially the yellow and green.  Costumes play a very important part in any show, those at Silchester certainly allowed the chorus to sparkle.  Both the adult and junior choruses had been well rehearsed, executing movements which I thought were praiseworthy.

The scenery was picturesque, especially the village square backcloth.  Considering the small size of the stage I felt that producers Janet and Brian Hope had worked wonders.

Anyone apt to drop off to sleep had a sudden awakening for in the royal kitchen scene a most effective explosion was devised which shattered the oven.

One small criticism, I felt that climaxes were allowed to pass too swiftly, like when the Sleeping Beauty emerged from her deep sleep — in a trice she was up and about without even rubbing her eyes.  But as I said,

'No Time For Fig Leaves' by Duncan Greenwood and Robert King, will be performed at the Silchester Village Hall on May 3, 4, 10, and 11, at 7.30 pm.

Set in the near future, the play deals with a world run by women, the men having died out due to an atomic accident.  By chance two men are found alive and brought to the country house of Constance Sharp, the Prime Minister, who sees them as an opportunity to remain in power.  The men have other ideas, and escape.  After all, there are 26 million women in Britain.

The cast is Constance Claythortle, Janet Taylor; Monica Sharpe, Barbara Fairbrother; Nigel Lawler, Doug Overett; David Moxton, Robert Whitehead; Lydia Parker, Bryony Paton; Dora, Judith Ifould; The Major, Liz Robertson; Helen Marchbanks, Wendy Roper; and Eve Forster, Michelle Bootman.

Silchester Players production of East Lynne was an attractively mounted one, where the attention to detail, and the flavour of the period was admirable.

The convoluted plot, so popular with Victorian audiences, defies any brief description, but the stock melodrama characters were effectively portrayed by a cast who displyed obvious enjoyment of their roles.

At the first performance "first night nerves" were apparent, and it took a while for the cast to settle into the play and get the feel of the piece.  However the audience started to respond and the action lifted.  All credit must go to the director, Marilyn Fowler, and to the cast who tackled this quite difficult play, with some long passages of dialogue, with intelligence and flair.

The Master of East Lynne, Archibald Carlyle, was impressively portrayed by Robert Whitehead, and in the role of his sister Cornelia, Janet Taylor was well cast and her characterization was particularly effective.  Janice How gave a highly talented and controlled performance as Archibald's wife, which perfectly suited her character.  Bryony Paton created an attractive and compelling Barabara Hale, Archibald's second wife, and Nigel Clarke made a splendid villain who really looked and sounded the part.  Lord Mountsevern was played by Brian Hope, Richard Hare by Ian Davenport, and the two maids were effectively played by Wendy Roper as Joyce, and Judith Ifould as Wilson.

The most impressive part about this production, was the high standard of presentation.  Much thought — and work — had gone into the very attractive costumes, and the set was most pleasant, and beautifully dressed with period furniture and properties.  Not only that, but the dressing changed as the time elapsed; a small but nice touch.

Silchester Players must be pleased at the result of staging this most unusual play, and I am sure that as the performances progress, the actors will get even more from their roles.  "East Lynne" will be repeated this Friday and Saturday at Silchester Village Hall.

Silchester Players put the clock back for their current autumn production by delving into the realms of Victorian melodrama with the story of 'East Lynne' re-lived.  As an aperitif to the Saturday performance I attended, there was supper served by members of the enterprising company attractively dressed, which helped to provide a realistic setting.

To help with the efforts of those on the stage there was the usual 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the back of the hall punctuated by comment one associates with the old halls, and with drink being served at every opportunity, there was a very congenial atmosphere.

As for the production, in the capable hands of Marilyn Fowler, it all seemed rather protracted, nevertheless the story is well told, with Janet Taylor as the irrascible Cornelia Carlyle outstanding.  I have seen Janet in a number of productions in which she has shown much versatility.

Robert Whitehead plays the part of Archibald Carlyle, brother of Cornelia and the master of the house 'East Lynne'.  The unfaithful husband of Isobel, Robert Whitehead would be more effective if he could slow down the manner of his delivery.

Words are so very important, especially in melodrama, and it is aggravating when they are not spoken clearly.  As for Isobel, well portrayed by Janice How, she is well in character both before and after her 'demise' and is the one who provides the real spot of high drama.

Nigel Clarke as Francis Levison is the villain of the piece and looks it, but the real culprit in the breaking up of the marriage is Barbara Hare who achieves her aim in hitching Archibald as her husband.  Bryony Paton does well in the part.

The best diction of the show comes from Brian Hope as Lord Mountsevern.  Another character to provide a diversion is Richard Hare, a criminal on the run, a part correctly played by Ian Davenport.

Like any Victorian house at a time when, from the middle classes upwards the servants were looked upon as being indispensable 'East Lynne' has its quota with Wendy Roper and Judith Ifould filling the bill adequately as Joyce Hallijohn and Wilson.  Both indulge in 'below the stairs gossip' to help the story along.

It was all quite well done and a credit to the successful company who ensures that Silchester folk are not starved of entertainment.