Living together - Cuffley players

Date seen: 29th March 2012

Venue: Cuffley Hall, Cuffley

Set: Extremely good. Fake books looked extremely convincing, had a real feeling of a genuine room with a lovely backdrop behind the French doors and well furnished.

Costumes: My only quibble is after changing for the evening, why did everyone change back to their original costumes for the next morning. Surely you would take a change of clothes if staying away? Otherwise, they were fine and I loved Norman's green, woolly hat.

Plot: This one begins on Saturday evening with Norman sulking because his trip has been canceled, Reg dealing with the bags - and the game he's invented that he's hoping to play - and Sarah marshaling everyone around. As the plays pile up the sense that anyone has control over anything really does deteriorate, because we see what's happening in the next room when character's aren't around we see how little effect individual's attempts to control the situation have.

Married relationships take the foreground in this play. Particularly Sarah and Reg's union - with her constantly running him down and bossing him - dismissing his attempts to get everyone to play his game with him - and his general acceptance of her command. This plays counter to Ruth and Norman's marriage which although Norman seems unable to stop himself from suggesting a roll on the carpet or a get-away to Bournemouth to every lady present has an honesty and bluntness that carries them - and by the end, carries them through. In a way.

Perfromances:

Sarah (Jenny Wood) - Not bad, but I felt her desire for a weekend away with Norman at the end came absolutelt from nowhere. Also was a bit too shrieky when she had a scene being angry.

Reg (Ivan Moody) - Tried really hard without ever seeming to get the audience to warm to him. He had some really nice moments.

Norman (Derek Parr) - Got Norman to an absolute T. Lecherous, onerous, but played the character with real skill.

Annie (Charlotte Acutt) - A lovely portrayal of  ac haracter fighting between her head and her heart. Had a much better chemistry with Tom than Norman and maybe that's what the character of Annie could never see?

Tom (Andrew Kent) - Terrific! Bumbling, inoffensive, gentle even when he was cross. This performance was such a delight and a much needed contrast to all the other characters.

Ruth (Sue Gooch)  -Only appears in act two. Solid enough and her scene with Norman on the carper was very amusing.

Summary: An unfortunate incident with a member of the audience blacking out occurred halfway through act one. A lot of concern and scurrying about with medical help being called meant that concentration was lost all around. In hindsight, I feel the tabs should have been pulled, but 'The show must go on' and it did. We were not a good audience from the start and the Cuffley players never got the early laughs that would have helped the production along. It all seemed to fall a bit flat, although I did actually thoroughly enjoy the show and I hope to get the opportunity to see more at this neat little venue.