Reviews of Things We Do For Love
NODA REPORT
Author: Vicki Avery (for Decia Ranger)
What a lovely welcome I received when I attended Much Hadham Drama Group on Thursday evening. The Village Hall being the perfect venue for this play by Alan Ayckbourn, Things We Do For Love.
This was Margaret Stainton’s first venture in the director’s chair and her eye for detail embellished the idea of depicting three different apartments on three different levels. Not an easy concept for the most experienced of directors never mind a first timer! Well done.
The set was well thought out, multi leveled, with attention to detail and nice touches particularly in the central playing area. The kitchen area was very cleverly and accurately painted in perspective to give the illusion of a working room, even a tea-towel hung in place. The notice board and fire hydrant in the hall added to that “lived in feel” and the clever use of occasional lighting all added to the impression of a tidy, well ordered home.
Lisa Turpcu was excellent as Barbara, the bossy house owner with an inner vulnerability and need for love that she desperately strives to suppress. Both diction and timing were very good indeed and well done with coping with the broken wine glass and delivering your lines at the same time as if it were all part of the action.
Jonathan Bayly as Hamish, defined a believable character with a hint of darkness to the role as Barbara’s, lover. There was a positive connection between these two characters which prepared the audience for things to come without giving the game away. Some intuitive direction here.
Nikki Wickstead as Lauren, was genuinely poignant as the emotionally needy former schoolgirl friend, who still looks up to Barbara. Body language was appropriate and off dialogue facial expressions were not in the least bit distracting. Her grief at her betrayal by both her fiancé and best friend was heart-catching but not over the top.
Ralph Camp was perfect as the creepily unctuous postman Gilbert, who as a “jack of all trades” constantly performed tasks to win Barbara’s affection while secretly painting a nude picture of her on the ceiling of his flat and wearing her discarded clothes. I enjoyed this portrayal as it gave just a hint of the kind of lodger one would hope one would never encounter. The drunk episode was well controlled.
The pace was good and the use of dramatic pause was not over worked.
Scene changes were efficient and introductory music appropriate. I was very impressed by your first attempt at directing and encourage you to do more. Congratulations to you all, a good team effort.
I enjoyed my evening with Much Hadham very much and thank you for your generous hospitality.
Review for the Much Hadham Parish Magazine
In the past I have been tweaked for giving too glowing a review, but I have to say that it was a privilege to watch the latest offering from this Group, Things we do for Love by Alan Aykbourn.
Looking back over their list of Past Productions, many of them stir the memory as being good, some of them excellent. This one was, I felt, outstanding.
The set was tremendous and an absolute triumph for Jem Deans and his team of helpers. Not only did they manage two storeys with two staircases, a hallway and a landing, but also a low-level next-door-neighbour and at least three ‘locking’doors! An amazing achievement in such a small space.
The lighting, under the capable direction of Mark Edwards, was subtle and beautifully done, and Jem Deans’ choice of music added to our enjoyment.
In this play there are only four cast members. This meant that they had to learn more than two hours of dialogue between them. I was unaware of any prompts at all, and if they did forget anything, they managed to cover it flawlessly.
Lisa Turpcu is always good on stage, and as the glamorous but vulnerable Barbara, she projected a strong central character. Her interaction with the others was nuanced and well-directed. Jonathan Bayly (another MHDG rock) played the fickle Hamish with great credibility. I particularly enjoyed his tender interaction with Ralph Camp’s, Gilbert, the slightly perverted lovelorn innocent, living downstairs. Ralph did brilliantly in bringing the tedious but so well-meaning Gilbert to life. It was a pleasure to watch him. Lauren O’Neill didn’t put a foot wrong as Nikki, Barbara’s best friend and the fiancée of Hamish. She shone throughout the evening. Every expression was spot on and she ‘lived’ her character so professionally that I kept forgetting she was acting. When she was cast aside, she went from gales of laughter to floods of tears in the space of 30 seconds, all without missing a beat. Wonderful!
I love to see the way this group is so supportive of one another, manning the bar, selling tickets, props, front of house and all the other things that have to be done to make a successful evening. Well done, everyone!
In the programme I read that this is the first full-length play that Margaret Stainton has directed. I hope she feels proud of herself because she should. She did a superb job with this script and I for one look forward to her next offering.
So, another glowing review, I’m afraid. I am unrepentant!
Sandra McAdam