Royalty Theatre
6th February, 2023
Written by Peter Coke
Directed by Corinne Kilvington
Cast
Liz Henderson
Jacob Hughes
Emma Thompson
Emma McGhee
Lynn Huntley
Caroline Chapman
Matthew Mason
Julie Carney
You might expect A Breath of Spring to be a springtime romance full of sunshine and snowdrops, but in actual fact it is a very funny comedy about fur coats, and a group of people in the "teatime" of their lives. The breath of spring in question is actually a beautiful fur, and is the a life changing catalyst for this gaggle of unlikely acquaintances.
The fur in question is "acquired" by Lily as a thank you to her employer - Dame Beatrice Appleby - who took on Lily despite her recent stay in Holloway. Not wanting to get Lily into trouble, Dame Beatrice, her friend Alice Lady Miller, and three lodgers (guests) come up with an ingenious plan to return the fur to its rightful owner. The plan is a huge success and the gang are thrilled by the experience. They realise that they could spice up their rather mundane lives by using their newly discovered skills to acquire things rather than return them. And so begins their adventure...
The action takes place in Dame Beatrice's living room over the course of a year. The gang have developed their skills and use their ill gotten gains to help people less fortunate - much like Robin Hood. All is going well until the call from Scotland Yard! How will they manage to hide the truth from the inspector?
A fabulously funny play with lots of twists along the way as these characters find a way to liven up their twilight years. The cast are brilliant - from the regimental Brigadier (Jacob Hughes) to the streetwise and savvy Lily (Emma Thompson) their timing is perfect, and body language and facial expressions say so much more than words at times. All the cast are excellent but special mention has to go to Lynn Huntley as Dame Beatrice who brings such an energy to the role, as she concocts her daring schemes and sells them to the rest of the gang. Just brilliant.
Of course on the opening night the props had to have their moment too, and the cast did their utmost to cope with the recalcitrant painting and unexpected step! It's a credit to them that they dealt with it so professionally and gave the audience some extra laughs - mind the step, Inspector!
This is such a feel good play - silly and funny but with some serious themes behind the humour. We can all grow old a little disgracefully, but perhaps not take up burglary!
Well worth going to see, tickets are available from www.royaltytheatre.co.uk or on the door. Curtain up is at 7.30pm - get there early and have a drink in the bar first, for a great night out on your doorstep!
Denise Sparrowhawk
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