Waiting in the Wings

The Mount Players have just closed another very successful reworking of a significant, beautifully produced theatre classic.  It is wonderful to have the opportunity to enjoy the mores of theatre’s traditional cannon in the beautiful rural setting of Macedon.  Full marks must go to this highly regarded theatre company for not shying away from producing works with large older casts.  In fact The Mount Players has embraced that concept with this final production for the year with a high degree of success.

Waiting in the Wings by witty playwright NoëlCoward is a decidedly engaging and entertaining, if not a little flawed, work.  First performed in 1960, it is set in a retirement home for aging actresses - a wonderful conceit for potentially ‘over the top performances’. 

In The Mount Players’ production, what initially seems, and is, quaint, becomes wholly engaging and fascinating as the interests and concerns of the beautifully drawn and well fleshed out characters take priority.

The set is comfortable and charmingly balanced with a particularly impressive detail of a naturalistic glowing fire and some fine artworks.  Recorded piano tunes written by Coward and played by Elaine Murphy underscore and add a delightful lyrical touch.  As usual the production values are very high and this speaks volumes about the technical skills, cooperation and dedicated work that is perhaps the backbone of this fine company.

Most of the characters are believably portrayed; some with a little more aplomb than others, and the acting is generally balanced and uniform. However, stand-out characterization is achieved by Michele Johnson, who, when on stage as the jaunty Sylvia Archibald, lightens the atmosphere and lifts the pace. The acting of Ryan Vanderweep as Perry Lascoe is refreshingly convincing and Margaret Muelheim imbues pathos and shines as impossibly dreamy and fast degenerating Sartia Myrtle. Also of particular interest is the nicely worked conflict between the rival characters of May Davenport (Bronwyn Lamb) and Lotta Bainbridge (Carolyn Swan).  Their clash is beautifully establishedand both actors take their characters on a convincing journey of growth, to what one assumes is mature acceptance.

Chery Servis has mastered the work and placed her characters perfectly.  She has sensitively drawn splendid work out of all her cast who appear, as their characters, to be comfortable and very much ‘at home’ in The Wings.  

Lovely work all round!

Mount Players have just launched their 2016 season:  The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Xanadu, 13^th One Act Play Festival, Hannie Rayson’s Falling from Grace and finally Whose Wives are They Anyway by Michael Parker. 

Suzanne Sandow