Review - Affair In A Tent

Although Ketton Players are best known for their Christmas Pantomimes their Spring production has long been the hidden gem in their year. The spring productions have traditionally been a smaller production with well fleshed out characters. These require a totally different set of performance skills to pantomime, but the players over and over again prove that these are skills in which they excel. In particular in the case of this production the audience were treated to characters both utterly convincing and endearing. A feat that will seem perhaps more remarkable to local audience members who know the performers and can see how much the performers in this production have taken on totally different personas in such a seamless manner that anyone not knowing them might assume that they are always like that.

The play to which the cast turned their skill this time was Affairs In A Tent. This is one possible version of Alan Ayckbourn's play Intimate Exchanges, a play written in a sort of "Choose Your Own Adventure" format. The original production by Ayckbourn's own group left the choice of route through the play to the audience but the Ketton Players felt that with the restraints on their rehearsal time that was not an option and instead the version of the play to be performed was chosen by Director Peter Upton before the beginning of rehearsals. As such the play followed the fortunes of Celia played by Jill Holmes as she tries to survive life as the wife of alcoholic public school head master Toby played by director Peter Upton. After years stuck in a rut watching her formally inspirational husband sink in to despair and alcoholism she is close to cracking, but finds new hope in the form of incompetent gardener and former incompetent master baker Lionel. Her excitement turns to despair as her plan to start a company providing afternoon teas begins to fall apart and despite the attempts to help from her husband, their friend Miles (played by Alan Barney) and Irene Pridworthy (member of the school's board of governors and classic "Horsey set woman" played by Sue Hards) Celia crashes out in one of the most amusing break downs in the Ayckbourn cannon. The ending is in many ways quite a touching affair although I won't spoil it for those of you who may yet see this play elsewhere.

Related Stories: Other Ketton Players Productions Snow White 29/11/9 Players Prepare For Affairs In A Tent. 23/03/10 Review - Affair In A Tent 7/4/10

The Long experience of director Peter Upton showed as he guided his cast rigorously to excellent performances. His own avoided over playing the alcoholic and allowing his concern for his wife to show through to the audience even when she could not see it. Jill Holmes also turned in a totally convincing performance of Celia handling the transition from one emotional state to another and the eventual slip into insanity with complete believability. Rob Nicholas in the part of Lionel turned in what I think is the best performance I have ever seen him give by a very large margin. He seamlessly managed to handle Lionel's incredible ability to cover the huge gap between the characters immense self belief and his well meaning incompetence. He also manages very well to portray Lionel's rather misogynistic attitude towards women whilst avoiding falling in to grotesque characture. It is perhaps the mocking coldness with which he dumps his previous lover Sylvie that makes this work. Sylvie herself only gets to appear in the first act of this production but I am quite sure the wonderfully stroppy performance from Caroline Royston could have left many audience members curious to see versions with more of this character in. The play's other characters don't make their entrance until the second half but showed no less talent and effort in their roles. Alan Barney as Miles Coombes brings a wind of cheerful bon viva into the second half, where as Sue Hards as Irene Pridworthy manages to play the stereotype jolly hockey sticks "Horsey type" in a manor that whilst still full blooded remains very believable.

With all the careful attention to character one might think the comedy of the piece would be forgotten but the cast brought out the humour in brilliant fashion with excellent timing and personality.

In short this has been yet another brilliant performance from the Ketton Players. It's not yet known what their next spring production will be but I would strongly recommend keeping an eye on the events page for march next year.

I've no doubt one of the key strengths of the Ketton Players which allows them to create such productions is experience. The longest serving member of the cast on this production was Director Peter Upton who has been with the Players constantly for 20 years. Throughout that time the players have always worked to teach new members the ways of the art and help them gain experience on stage with the hope that they will go from being talented actors to talented and experienced actors. The players next production is very much the fruit of that, mostly staring members from the younger contingent of the group. Some who have been with the group a few years will be joined by first timers under the leadership of first time director Matthew Upton. Many of these youngsters have already proved themselves exellent performers in pantomimes and musicals with the players, but this next production, The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents will give them a chance to prove their talents in a much darker comedy. Early signs in rehearsals are very positive for the future.

Article by M.P.Upton - 29/3/10
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