Reviews of People by Alan Bennett
“People” Directed by Maggie Smith
Reviewed at Much Hadham Village Hall on Friday 17th May 2019
The society always produces shows of a very high standard, so I was really looking forward to an evening of first class entertainment and I was not disappointed.
This play revolves around two sisters and their opposing ideas on how to dispose of their crumbling stately home, which they can no longer afford to maintain. Dorothy refuses to entertain the idea of handing it over to the National Trust and wants to investigate other options. June on the other hand takes a more matter-of-fact approach and has no doubts about the National Trust option being the way forward.
The set is that of a rather shabby room with a couple of armchairs and what appeared to be boxes and other items no longer used.
A very good performance from Lisa Turpcu as the titled Dorothy, an ex-model now living as a recluse in the family pile. She looks at ways of disposing of the property including an idea put to her by a rather shady character called Bevan (well played by Ralph Camp) who talks of investors who want to move it to Dorset or Wiltshire. In the meantime she decides it might be fun to hire it out to a production company who make porn films. The arrival of Mr Theodore (an old flame of Dorothy’s played by Granville Rush) and his film crew brings a new lease of life to Dorothy and she starts to reminisce about her modelling days and dresses up in some of her, now vintage, courture outfits.
The making of the film itself was an absolutely hilarious interlude involving lots of lights, action, which it goes without saying was left to the imagination, and plenty of sound. Well done to Mark Edwards and Lorna Catt as porn stars Colin and Britt, aided in their performance by a hot water bottle!
Amanda Green gave a strong performance as June, a confident, ambitious archdeacon who finds someone she can relate to in Ralph Lumsden from the National Trust as they discuss the property’s future. A good characterisation by Paul Winspear of a man who came across as completely genuine but with an unfortunate speech impediment which made it almost impossible for the audience to keep a straight face while he was talking. I have no idea if this was written into the script but it was a stroke of genius.
A lovely piece of character acting by Anne Senior as Dorothy’s rather dotty companion Iris who reveals she is in fact her half-sister, the result of an affair between a village girl and Dorothy and Jane’s father. This snippet of information doesn’t go unnoticed by Mr Lumsden. It is after all part of the house’s history, as are the numerous chamber pots kept in the billiards room, complete, we are told, with contents as left by various gentlemen of note to save them leaving the room mid game. These are brought back to their former glory by the National Trust volunteers and paraded across stage on their way back to the salon amid shrieks of laughter from the audience.
A good performance also from Roger Mortimer as Bishop, a position June has set her heart on.
The transformation of the set in preparation for the opening of the house was very cleverly done. I had spotted a small area of wallpaper peeping out from under the wall covering, so assumed that at some point we were going to see the property restored to its former glory. The interval came and went and nothing had happened but then during Act II came the big reveal and we watched in amazement as the plain wall coverings were pulled away to expose exquisite wallpaper, pictures, original moulded features and furniture of the period as well as a crystal chandelier and wall lights. While this was going on a conversation was taking place downstage as Dorothy started to realise that she probably had a part to play in the house’s new role.
I thoroughly enjoyed this production, my only thought being that Dorothy could have been made to look older, possibly with the aid of theatrical make-up, and more eccentric. She had by her own admission been a recluse for 40 years following her modelling career.
That apart this was a very good production. Thank you for inviting me.
Decia Ranger
NODA East,
District 7.
“PEOPLE” by Alan Bennett Directed by Maggie Smith
Much Hadham Drama Group Production May 2019
Many congratulations to the director, cast and production team of the above play – whose performers were joined by others from local drama groups to complete a large and talented cast.
My first impression was of a splendid set- in every way representative of the faded grandeur of a stately home. Wallpaper, chandelier, shabby antiques and pictures set the scene of past upper crust existence.
The house is protected by one sister, Dorothy (Lisa Turpcu), once a successful fashion model, who lives in the decaying house with her companion Iris (Anne Senior) whilst it is being marketed to the National Trust by June, the other sister, who is an Archdeacon (Amanda Green).
Dorothy wonders whether she could make a killing by selling the house to a sinister commercial concern as advocated by Bevan (Ralph Camp). However, she comes under pressure from the representative of the National Trust (Paul Winspear), who learns that there is a store of chamber pots in the attic labelled with the names of famous guests who have left samples of their urine for posterity. He is determined to win Dorothy over to donating the house and contents to the National Trust.
Enter a film crew, complete with cast, director, sound and lighting technicians plus actors, to participate in a porn movie filmed off stage in one of the old bedrooms. This throws another opportunity for the future of the house into the mix. The audience thoroughly enjoyed this episode, with all the clutter of photographic equipment, microphones and setting up by the director and his crew. Dorothy is somewhat won over to a potential new episode in her life, as we watch her being transformed by the novelty of having warm water for a bath and new costumes, much to the archdeacon’s disgust.
The script demonstrates opposing views, possibly held by Bennett himself, over radicalism and the preservation principle. Each character delivered Bennett’s lines convincingly, and special mention must go to Lisa Turpcu and Amanda Green for their individual portrayals of the sparring sisters. It would be invidious to leave out any of the characters however, who tackled a challenging script with vigour, and needed remarkably few prompts in a wordy script.
A happy ending was enhanced by a multitude of National Trust visitors. Well done to all who were involved in the production, backstage or on it! Bennett would have been delighted I am sure.
Jennifer King