Waiting in the Wings review from 4th July 2010

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Waiting in the wings
by Noel Coward

Directed by Althea Morrison

Little Theatre,Gateshead
http://www.littletheatregateshead.com/



Little Theatre, overlooking the wonderful Saltwell ParK in Gateshead is home to the amateur Progressive Players, a group of hard working and competent drama actors and actresses.
Tonights performance was the final dress rehersal, before it goes live in front of the paying general public.
Waiting in the wings, which was Coward's 50th stage play, is set in 1960 in a home for retired actresses, which in itself should run fairly smoothly, but when you have two strong characters come face to face 30yrs after a fall out, then you can probably expect a few conflicting situations.
May Davenport,played by Sonia Dunlop, has lived at 'wings' for some time, and is downtrodden and gloomy in the fact that she will live out the rest of her life in this home, a further blow is taken by her when Lotta Bainbridge,played by Dawn Bell is installed as the new guest.
Things as you can imagine dont run smoothly, and tempers are pushed to the limits. Fantastic acting throughout the whole of this play encompasses the relationships of all the guests in the home from the rather stuffy management-played by Trish Turbull,the undercover journalist-played by Diane Girdlestone who is out to get at her editors insistance "the story of the home" the very opiniated Deirdre O'Malley, played by Elaine wilson,to the wonderful Macbeth weilding dementia suffering Sarita Myrle acted by the superb Sue Wilson.


It is my opinion that Sue Wilson's small but witty part in this play is well worth the entrance fee alone, and I look forward to seeing her in many more up and coming performances.

The set and props for this play are very professional like and the wardrobe department can be justifiably proud in bringing the feel of the 60's to our modern world.
This play is a rather quaint and gentle comedy, but it brings to mind what will happen to us all when we grow to retirement age, whether we are actors,actresses or just Joe Public, will we be put out to rest and somewhat forgotten about,by those around us that we love, and those that have loved us.

Waiting in the Wings is playing from 5th to the 10th July, for the paltry sum of £7, for this you will get 2 hours of local talent, some great in-between scenes music,and a play that you might well remember for some time to come..!!


Michael Hunter