BOGOF – Thurrock Courts Players
In this business you occasionally have to change the approach to try and increase activity and participation and, above all, audience figures
Thurrock Courts Players have certainly done that. Later next month they are introducing a Saturday matinee performance and last night they offered a “one night only” performance of two one act plays – hence the BOGOF. One home written and one not and the audience loved it! Audiences went home very happy and the theatre bar did business and probably Courts players made a profit. Everyone’s happy so let’s hope they can do it again
Tea and Crumpet by Trevor Povey
Courts member and actor Trevor Povey wrote and directed this delightful piece which tells the tale of a transport café somewhere oop north where the customers get stuck in for the night after snow sets in. I am not going to heap praise on any individual as I feel everyone involved gave a very strong performance and there were some very well observed characterisations. Credit must go to Trevor who not only wrote but directed this play. Its success lies in its structure which allows each character to develop and progress and a very clever scene in which five phone conversations are running at the same time which leads to some very comical moments. In fact, that is my only criticism as on rare occasion lines were unheard as the audience were still laughing at the previous joke.
I am aware that Trevor is also writing a second act for this play and if it’s the same pedigree as this then audiences will love it
Babels in Arms by David Ives
A debut direction for Gary Patmore and he has done a fine job with this silly and highly amusing two header which featured excellent performances from Trevor Povey and Michael McFarlane. The humour was delivered with some excellent comic timing and clever sight gags. Think Python meets Milligan and you can guess the level we were at, but this play had some real laugh out loud moments. Excellent support from Pauline Crowhurst, Monica Zieba and Jenny Lee made this play come alive. Not for the vicar but audiences loved it, as did I.
Lets hope this highly successful experiment will be repeated . Courts Players next production is on the 23rd to 25th May and is called “Inspector Drake’s Last Case”.
