Play On

Play On is a chaotic comedy about an amateur theatre production, where everything goes wrong, in a similar vein to The Play That Goes Wrong. A love letter to community theatre, played well, it is slick, funny and clever, and Roleystone’s production manages to hit nearly all the notes, making it a very satisfying, very clever production.

Starting three days before Dress Rehearsal, the set for the play within the play, Murder Most Foul (no relation to the Agatha Christie play of the same name), is unfinished, and unfurnished. One of the lovely touches was that we see the stage crew complete the set - especially in the scene break between Acts One and Two, adding some comic business of their own. The set design, by Daniel Ramsell, is solid and effective. The show was cleverly lit from a design by Daniel Ramsell and Peter ‘Pear’ Carr, while Ben Blair’s sound design was clever and perfectly timed (or mistimed as appropriate). Joanne Padgett’s costumes were well chosen for character - and were especially glamorous for the internal play. Yvette Drager Wetherilt’s “over-done” makeup and effective wigs were an asset to the production.

Co-director Bree Hartley pulled double duty, playing Murder Most Foul Director Geraldine Dunbar. Playing most of the show from the audience, we could sympathise with her frustration, directing a struggling cast through an appalling script - that is constantly being revised. Her frustration felt real and her explosion of anger a highlight. Sherrill Wallis was beautifully cast as writer Phyllis Montague, likely annoying and interfering. Adam Wolfe made a very believable Stage Manager as Algernon Manville. Benjamin Small as techie Louie Peary delivered one of the year’s most relaxed and laconic performances while simultaneously breaking a step-count record for a performer - appearing on stage, then seconds later in the bio-box - a considerable distance at this theatre.

Excellent teamwork from the “on stage” cast. Madeleine Biddle was lovely as Violet Imbry, playing the ingenue role, socialite Diana Lassiter, working especially closely with Lawson Ford, playing actor Billy Carewe with care and man-about-town Stephen Sellers as suave. Bradley Towton was in his element as self-aware actor Saul Watson relishing playing the villain Dr Rex Forbes.

Jan Phillips was on-the-mark as local diva Polly Banish, playing Lady Margaret, while Ian Lawrence was believable as long-suffering husband Henry, playing Lord Dudley. Caitlyn Boyle was delightful as schoolgirl Marla ’Smitty” Smith making a stage debut as Doris, the maid.

Anyone who has been part of community (or even professional) theatre for more than a couple of shows, will recognise many of the situations nicely created by the quality team, whether it is struggling for lines, or dealing with miscues, poorly timed effects or drunk scene partners. Well worth watching look, especially for the theatre folks.

Kimberley Shaw