Westovians
August 31 2011
No-one could have foreseen the strange events that took place one dark evening at the home of Mrs Gagarin. We see her taking a stroll. Next she screams, 'Who is it? Oh, it's you!’ Next a gunshot! It's up to the world's greatest detective to solve the crime. But, in the words of Sergeant Plod, 'don't believe everything you see....'
Up tonight at The Westovians is David Tristram's Inspector Drake's Last Case, performed by the fabulous Youth Section, a wealthy array of talent.
Acted entirely in a drawing room scenario, Inspector Drake comes across like a Victorian era Jacques Clouseau (played famously by Peter Sellers), with all the mumblings and the fumblings intact. He see's things well out of the box, so don't believe everything that you witness!
Connor Woods playing Drake, ably pull off the lead roll, and has the audience in fits of laughter as he pieces together the evidence, with more of a toilet brush attitude than a fine tooth comb. His interactions with Andrew Dawson, playing Sergeant Plod (who in all of the confusions sees himself as a leading crimefighter) was very funny to say the least.
Who we thought as being top of the list as guilty until charged Mr Gagarin (played by the great Matthew Heppel) and Miss Duck (Bethany Walker) acted superbly portraying their characters.
What was great and highlighted the farcial aspect of the play was the naming of the roles, for example Mrs Gardener (Annie Cairns) was the cook and Mr Cook (Jack Errington) was the gardener,this continues in most of the parts, all of this didn't help Drake one bit - to the delight of the audience of course.
A great set design by Rachael Walsh (who also brilliantly directed) and Michael Ferry, Light (Ian Johnston) and sound (Jennifer Boyack) all offered a great template to the acting that followed.
The Youth Section always get a good crowd, tonight was no different, they like me enjoyed this offering.
So if it is corny, farcial humour interlaced with great acting that you are after then go and see this play, you wont be disappointed.
Runs until Saturday.
Michael Hunter
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