Planet Rabbit Productions

BLITZ BRIDE by Claire Spratt
United Reformed Church, Buxton. 18-20 July 2011

Another top notch offering from Planet Rabbit productions. Essentially this is the story of Clare Spratt's (the writer and artistic director of Planet Rabbit) grandparents, but it could be anyone's grandparents' story.

A mixture of pathos and comedy we meet Mrs Pattisson, her daughter Ruby who is doing essential work with the ATS and affianced to Henry, and Ruby's best friend, Nancy, already married and pregnant.

Hannah Levy's sterling performance portraying four different characters, two on stage at the same time is brilliant. Ruby is the hard working ATS girl, away from home 3 months at a time with 10 days leave and making plans for a 'small' wedding once the war is over. She didn't go into the munitions factory as her father says he didn't want her 'turning yellow!' Suddenly real life interrupts as the government announces that all single ATS women are to be posted abroad to assist the war effort. What can be done to stop Ruby being sent to the front? Enter Dad and Arthur with the only solution - make sure Ruby is not single!

Plans are put in place and with rations only allowing to cater for 30 people at a wedding Ruby is sure that she will get the quiet 'do' she wants.

Meanwhile we have the ever expanding waistline, and appetite of Nancy - who with startling naivety is looking forward to the arrival of her first born. The baby duly arrives with hilarious accompaniment. As always Fiona Organ is totally believable in her character, excellent! The innocence and simplicity of Nancy's life with her work at the munitions factory, calling in to see Mrs Pattisson, eating her out of house and home, making plans for her best friend's wedding, and her complete ignorance of childbirth are both touching and hilarious.

However, star billing must go to Carol Ann Dunne. Carol stepped in at the last minute and had only rehearsed with the other cast members 3 times and apart from a hiccough early on, no one would ever have known. 'Mrs Pattisson' is on stage just about the whole of the time, her comic timing and portrayal of the no nonsense but good hearted (how many guests end up being invited to Ruby's 'quiet wedding'?) war time woman is terrific. Well done!

Of course special mention should be made of Reginald Bentley-Forbes for his amazing portrayal of the depressed dog Rover! And what of Frank?

Even if the sun is cracking the flags for the rest of the run, treat yourself to this production - from the tea and scones served on your arrival to the sing song at the end, plus the authentic props and costumes - the war time era is created so effortlessly.

Another winner Claire - job well done!

Linda McAlinden

SMALL PORTIONS by Claire Spratt
United Reformed Church, Buxton. 11-13 July 2011

Small Portions is "six short comedy plays on one bill performed by five actors". Not all six are the same length, nor do they have the same actors in them. The six plays are: Tea towels and Tiaras, Nightwatch, The Joy of Painting, Fancy pants, Star Gazing, and Foot day.

The variety of the different plays is brilliant, it's all quite fast-paced, but the comedy is well-timed and the switching between the plays isn't confusing, or difficult to follow. For the first performance of a show that long, I thought it was well put together, really entertaining. The humour was delivered nicely, with an endearing set of scenarios to work it into.

The acting felt very genuine, and the script was very relatable somehow. The characters were all well developed, and all had different personalities, which

was good, as you weren't thinking of them as the person from the previous play, they were obviously being someone else; I was just engrossed in the current short play, not thinking about the one before it.

The scene changes were slightly lengthy, and maybe a bit clumsy; it felt a bit awkward watching the scene be set for the next play, but once completed the stage suited the characters, and set the atmosphere for the short plays perfectly.

I would recommend Small Portions, although perhaps not if you like edgy or dark comedy, the humour is domesticated, but all six of the short plays are funny- there were lots of laughs, despite there only being eleven people in the audience.

Bethany Pearson & Molly Gill

GEORGE, DON'T DO THAT by Joyce Grenfell
United Reformed Church, Buxton. 15th & 22nd July 2009

Joyce Grenfell's six monologues about the trials and tribulations of a nursery class teacher were published in 1977 - but must have been written in the mid 1960s. No matter they sound, for the most part, pretty contemporary.

OK you don't get many Sidneys, Peggys or Nevilles in your average class, nor is the class hamster likely to be called Harold Wilson (or Gordon Brown or David Cameron come to that). OK, today's nursery teacher and nursery nurses will probably be armed with a clipboard as they carry out dozens of observations and assessments. OK, few early years professionals come from the same southern, English finishing school as Joyce Grenfell and so don't have the cut-glass accent. But apart from that remarkably little has changed.

The business of organising children for collective productions (The Nativity Play here); trying to release the creative in children through improvised dancing to music (Flowers - "don't forget to breathe Peggy"); famously monitoring children's chosen activity - "each little individual - each one expressing his little personality" (Free Activity Period); trying to develop a story with a group of children - in this case about "an ordinary businessman bunny rabbit" but sadly concluding "I don't think love is enough with children" (Story Time); trying to get the class to sing (Sing Song Time) only to waste minutes because some poor child - Sidney here - mishears 'flute' as 'fruit' and is naturally puzzled; Going Home Time allows for further reflections on the hapless Sidney ("We don't think he's very talented but we think it is important to encourage his self-expression - we don't know where it might lead").

Oh the joys. Here Joyce is played admirably by Gayle Dennis. Gayle doesn't strain too hard to get the accent exactly Joyce - but she's 'posh' enough. Certainly her posture and body language seem spot-on - she looks right through you and she bends, just slightly, with clasped hands - exhorting us to behave and to succeed. She seems suitably exhausted by the end of the week with the dear children ("You're not hurt Dolores - you're just surprised"). The praise and encouragement, which was evident in the earlier monologues, is replaced by a desperate pleading at the end.

The full house loved this show. I think you will too.

Keith Savage

ANORAK OF FIRE by Stephen Dinsdale
United Reformed Church, Buxton (reviewed) & tour. July 2009

You know from the title what you might be expecting and this production doesn't let you down. From Pramhood to almost losing his virginity, Gus introduces us to the secretive world of the Trainspotter.

None of the brashness of that other Trainspotting work, this is a far gentler tale of lost souls, lost to the joys of 'spotting'. Less a hobby and more a way of life, G. J. Gascoigne reveals his life story and the influence that 'spotting' has had on the many and varied facets of what it is, to be human.

We learn about life on Crewe station, the correct dress code, personal rivalries and even the Filth make their mark! There are some astonishing facts about 'spotting'; did you know for example that marriage is failing, birth rate is falling and 'spotting' is increasing! Fact! (apparently).

And then there is Jim O'Rourke. A legend. And it is his anorak that is the title of this piece.

All of this is delivered faultlessly by Chris Leach, who makes the character of Gus completely believable. This is a gentle comedy in the style many have come to love. The audience too seemed to love it, with chortles and laughs from those around me evidence of their enjoyment.

If you like a stroll through the psyche of the obsessed, unconcerned and honest then this is for you.

Ian Heath

STANDBY ON STAGE PLEASE! by Claire Butler
United Reformed Church, Buxton. 14th & 15th July 2009

A thoroughly enjoyable hour spent with the totally self obsessed Suzi Monroe and the ever patient and professional Stage Manager, Kate.

Suzi appeared in a popular sit com several years ago and has since kept her profile high by appearing in various 'celebrity' TV shows. It becomes clear that she is extremely high maintenance and has very little acting ability, which is probably why she has had very few acting roles in the interim and she tries to persuade us that the two months holiday she will be taking after the exhausting schedule of 'panto' is to recover and 'consider her options'.

Kate is the Stage Manager, ensuring the crew and cast are where they should be when they should be - especially the 'professional' high profile leading lady. Kate's patience seems never ending as Suzi is unable to learn her lines and clings to her script like a security blanket and insists on the words being taped all over the set and props. She is demanding and clearly believes she is the 'star'. Her attention seeking antics see her trying to get Kate to undertake a series of minor and unimportant tasks and does not have any appreciation of the role of Stage Manager, or the demands and etiquette required for stage work. Her nerves and lack of ability and talent means that she witters constantly and any mishaps are always someone else's fault - props in the wrong place, lights being moved.

Only occasionally does Kate point out that it might be Suzi at fault. When talking to various crew members on the 'cans' we get an insight into Kate's real thoughts on the 'high price of fame'. That Kate is able to concentrate on cueing in scenery, set and light changes, not to mention cast calls displays her professionalism, which unsettles Suzi even more. There is some very funny dialogue and when Suzi takes her mobile on stage, refusing to leave it with Kate in case it rings - well!

Having been in, and connected to, many amateur productions I recognised the characters immediately. Wonderfully played by Emily Trebicki as Suzi and Fiona Organ as Kate they are obviously based on people the author Clare Butler has met en route. Emily and Fiona's timing and facial expressions conveyed much - but 'much' was obviously missed by Suzi as she presents a gift to Kate at the end of the run declaring that there had been a special bond between them, Kate is fabulous and she hopes they will work together again.

The simple staging works perfectly - there isn't much room in the wings!!

It is a shame there weren't more in the audience for the premiere of this funny but true to life depiction of activities side of stage.

Well done Claire, I hope the audiences pick up and that this is the first of many.

Linda McAlindon

GROPING FOR WORDS by Sue Townsend
Published on Thursday 4 September 2008. Halifax Courier
Hebden Bridge Little Theatre (reviewed) & tour. Sept 2008

BEST-SELLING author Sue Townsend's Groping for Words is a heart-warming comedy, full of charm and well-observed characterisation.
Set in an adult literacy class where students are faced with the frustration and embarrassment of learning to read and write, it reflects social issues that strike at the heart of life's obstacles.
Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 writer Townsend's sympathetic style lends app-eal to the clever plot with its seemingly predictable happy ending.
Inappropriate nursery classroom furniture and a bright plastic Wendy house serve to emphasise the difficulties the four misfits, who are thrown together, face, but offers Alice in Wonderland comic mo-ments.
Bretton Hall trained Chris Leach plays Kevin as a suitably aggressive tattooed punk, while Laura Spratt's Lycra-wearing Thelma Chur-chill – "no relation" – is full of throwaway, casual teenage angst.
Michael Wardle as the un-employed, deserted George is gentle, and lovable with a feisty edge and Gayle Dennis as Joyce, the newly-qualified trusting, optimistic, accident-prone literacy crusader, holds the story together.
With inventive lighting plots and an 80s soundtrack, it could benefit from some tightening up of pace at this early stage in its run.
Directed by Peter Martin, best known as Len Reynolds in TV's Emmerdale and as Joe Carroll in The Royle Family, Groping for Words is touring Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire over the next three weeks.
It will play Calderdale again at Halifax Playhouse on Wednesday.