IT TAKES a courageous amateur company to stage a Sue Townsend and a John Godber duo of plays in one evening, but The Livingston Players rose to the challenge last week.
The theatre group commenced their 2010 season at the Brian Duguid Auditorium with a run of shows fro
m last Thursday to Saturday, staging Townsend's Womberang, directed by Lynne Hurst, for the first part of the evening and then Bouncers, by Godber as a double bill each night.
A realistic hospital waiting room with an assortment of outpatients set the scene for Womberang which was promptly invaded by bossy boots Rita and her pal. When the bored receptionist ignores them, Rita produces a large bell which she rings.
From then on it was one laugh after another as the bold Rita decides to change the waiting room into a group therapy session, succeeds in convincing a mild wife she should stand up to her husband, and generally causes mayhem as she takes over and brightens lives.
This includes that of a mature lady with a limited time to live who joins in swigging from a gin bottle and ends up stripping
off her restricting corset.
When angry passions flare, the childless couple disappear behind the screen and consummate a marriage which originally had not presented children due to the fact that the husband, a member of a religious sect, thought the tummy button produced the desired pregnancy.
His meek wife had been too timid to ensure accurate placement. Rita soon changes that.
Even when stressed-out assistant Almoner arrives, Rita is in charge and ensures that gin brought in by her pal, is shared amongst the waiting ladies.
Each of the actors, Kate Halliday, Annie Townsend, Heather Haig, Sue Rankine, Rachel Hope, Karen McPherson, Ashley Townsend, David Mackie and Alex Rankine played their part with style, and impeccable Liverpudian accents when required.
In the case of Miss Hutchinson, a Northern Irish accent made the role even more convincing and proved once again she has earned the right to star in leading roles.
Then again, this was a five-star production.
In showbiz there is a saying: "Follow that!"
By choosing John Godber's Bouncers, directed by John Hutchinson, they managed to actually add even more to the enjoyment of the evening.
Four actors in evening suits are required to create different personas simply by a change of voice and attitude.
To begin with we have four bouncers at a disco who in turn become four guys on the pull, out for a night at the pub and the disco and magically morph into four teenage dolly birds.
Utilising only a glitzy silver backdrop, some beer barrels, four gold handbags and disco lighting where necessary, Jeff Robinson, Alastair Thomas, Ross Bain and John Ward succeeded in convincing the audience the stage was filled with various characters.
First-class use was made of the Brian Duguid stage and if the Players ever opt to enter Bouncers for an award, they will win the accolade of no longer calling this an 'amateur' production because this was a smash hit professional success.
