Public Reviews

Review

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I must admit that I was totally confused nearly the whole way through the play - about who had or had not been murdered - and why - and even at time- who people were!  This was no Scandi Noir or even Midsomer Murders, but I didn’t care!  Of course there were plenty of clues along with unexpected twists and turns but I just sat back, suspended rational thought and enjoyed the silly comedy of the whole evening - helped I imagine by a bottle of beer that goes with BHADS performances these days. Thanks Martyn for the bar! A great way to end the week! 

I won’t bother to go into the plot but it was great to see some new faces in what must have been the biggest BHADS cast for a while. Two of the old hands were perfect in their roles - Rick McIntosh as the slightly threatening Butler who turned out not to be a butler at all but the murderer and Kimberly Jones who played the sassy maid with the right degree of sassiness.  Hugh Jones could be a Baronet in real life his characterization was so perfect and the two more than slightly dippy female parts were played all too convincingly by Ashley Potts and Jade Potts - with some great comic timing.  Newcomer to the group Lydia Davis carried off the role of the glamourous and elegant film starlet with Hollywood style and Linda Churms was excellent as the always questioning slightly cynical family member. Tim Kitcher, another new BHADS member played the obviously out of his depth slightly slow witted amateur detective (I was ahead of him at times) who just about managed to hold on to his sanity surround as he was by the barmy members of the family called together for a meeting by the Baronet. The pernickety governess was played with the right element of detached fussiness by Susan Burnell. Last but not least, the Barnaby of the plays title (who at the end wasn’t the Barnaby of the title - work that one out) was played with excellent unbelievability by James Evans - even I saw through his false moustache!

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This was Antony Shaw’s first outing as Director and supported by Linda Churms - a highly successful one. Rick McIntosh worked his magic and attention to detail with the set as usual - a challenge with revolving doors, falling paintings and other moving parts!  The drama hinged on the lighting and bangs happening at the right time and the light and sound team of Sarah Hindson and David Williamson managed this perfectly.  The whole BHANDS ensemble were supported by their slightly overworked at times prompt and front of house supremo Dawn Lake and backstage support of Wendy Bradbury.

Another great evening BHADS and looking forward to the next one!

                                                                                                                                                                                              Jamie Hindson

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Shrewsbury

BHADS chose for their 2015 Autumn presentation the classic film and stage comedy Educating Rita by Willy Russell. A play for two actors it is set in the office of an Open University and explores the relationship between Rita, a loud mouthed Liverpudlian hairdesser who is desperate to escape the tedium of her working class upbringing by furthering her education, and her tutor Doctor Frank Bryant an experienced, but jaded beareded lecturer who is partial to a drop of the hrd stuff hiding his booze behind books in the bookcase. 

In a play which combines drama and comedy it is lively and witty throughout and has many humourous moments and some brilliant one liners as the couple debate, without going to deep, the interesting issues of class and education. As the bond between them grows and intensifies one cannot miss a certain resemblance to Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion - educated man facinated by the woman's working class lifestyle takes her under his wing to try and give her the social standing she yearns for.

In the role of Frank, played by Micheal Cain in the film version, Rick McIntosh treated us to a very powerful performance and ticked all the boxes as he gave his character a multitude of emotions from humour and pathos to bitterness and sourness when the situation demanded it. Such was his dedication to the part that he spent some weeks growing his own beard - surley a sign of a true actor!

Andrea Claydon's 'scouse' accent was amazing. Unlike many actors who have an accent to portray and which fizzles out after a while Andrea held it consistently throughout making her role as headstrong Rita completly believable and compelling, again another truly great and moving performance.

With many scene changes during the play you would think that they would detract from the enjoyment of the storyline so director Kimberley Jones must be congratulated on a crisp, slick and pacey production which kept audiences hooked from curtain up to the finale. Hailed as one of the best from the BHADS stable one cannot escape the excellence of the set design, lighting, sound and backstage crew, so necessary for a play to succeed and this is one certainly did. One word sums it up - brilliant! It was a brilliant production which would not have been out of place in a professional theatre. Whats next BHADS?

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Pete Shone

Shrewsbury

Having been made into a very successful film Richard Harlings highly acclaimed 80's stage play Steel Magnolias was the choice of BHADS presentation for their spring production in the Memorial Hall. The action takes place in Truvy Jones' beauty salon in South Louisiana where six women gather to discuss their various personal lives - some good and some not so.

The play unfolds over several years during which their relationships are explored and in which we see humour, supportiveness and fortitude and whose mixture of both strength and fagility provides the play with its title.

Kay Marsland makes an impressive stage debut with BHADS with a warm and enduring performance as Truvy, owner of the salon and mentor turned surrogate mother to her clients as we get to listen to all the gossip about idolent and neglectful husbands and so on. Kimberley Anne Jones stands out in the role of bride to be Shelby whose character is complex because while she is plucky and sweet she is also immensely stubborn and, arguably, a bit of a brat. Wendy Bradbury has the show stealing role of Ouiser and commands the stage as soon as she barges through the door. Loud , brash and liberal, with licks from her acid tongue to anyone near also with hidden moments of humanity and excellent comic timing and body language.

Experienced BHADS actress Carol Lewis does a witty and elegent job with ease as recently widdowed Clairee who discovers that life has a lot more to offer than simply being the wife of a small town Mayor . Andrea Claydon gave a powerful performance oas M'lynn, Shelby's mother, being much concerned about her daughter's fragile state after ignoring doctor's advice about becoming pregnant. Her attempts to cope after shelby's death we particularly well portrayed. Tragedy is often offset by humour and Gemma Rose Blackburn did a wonderful job of bringing loads of light releif throughout as we saw her character of shy Annelle emerge from her shell to become a born again christian takinf every opportunity to pray at the drop of a hat.

In this heart warming and bittersweet comedy the talented cast, combined with a very impressive set, made the chemistry between the characters tottaly believable under the direction of Rick McIntosh assisted by Sarah Hindson. 

What more can we say but another success for BHADS

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Pete Shone

Shrewsbury