TWELFTH NIGHT

The Lord Chamberlain's Men at the Greville Theatre Club

31.07.09

“Oberon”, just in front of us, had bottled ale, a popular tipple for Tudor playgoers.

Not so sure about the Malvern Water, the Mumm and the Moet. But there was no mistaking the festive nature of this memorable evening.

The Greville Theatre Club had decided to celebrate their 50th birthday by getting someone else to do the entertaining. They went for the best of the touring players, the Lord Chamberlain's men, an all male troupe taking Shakespeare to historic settings.

This year's production is that “improbable fiction” Twelfth Night. As we saw at the Globe a few years ago, this play especially gains from having boys play the girls. Shaun McKee as Viola soon dons the breeches for Cesario, and we relish the double confusion. The wooing scene was superbly done here. Only seven players, so some impressive doubling: Mawgan Giles, for example, managed both Orsino and Maria ! Mark Martin was an upper class twit of an Aguecheek, as well as Sebastian, and Tom Micklen was Antonio, the captain, and a hippy-ish Feste, who sang to his pipe to start the show, and brought a mellifluous melancholy to its close. Malvolio [Paul Brendan] wore a silly hat and a pained expression, with Joe Marsh as his mistress Olivia. The coarse Belch was played with some restraint by Conner Williams.

The verse speaking, and the complex plot, were commendably clear, with many of the less comprehensible lines cut, and the three levels of the portable stage provided good sight lines and swift entrances and exits. The extra songs were relevant and robustly performed.

Martins soared overhead, the church bell tolled the hours as evening fell. This ancient space, bounded by the barn which is the Greville's home, the church and a row of cottages, made this fine production a very special occasion for those of us lucky enough to be there.

Twelfth Night was directed by Andrew Normington.

HAY FEVER

Greville Theatre Club at the Barn Theatre Little Easton

14.05.09

A “complete featherbed of false emotions” ? Well, yes. Coward's weekend with the insufferably theatrical Bliss ménage is high on bon mots, thinner on plotting. But Greville's stylish production, marking their 50^th anniversary [what was the first ever show in Lady Warwick's Little Theatre, I wonder?] was a delight throughout, thanks to blue chip performances and first class production values. Hay Fever was directed by Rita Vango and produced by Judy Lee.

Did Coward choose the ironic Tea for Two as a curtain raiser [and a wicked choreographed number for the grumpy Clara, dresser to the stars and only domestic on duty, nicely played by Diana Bradley ] ? They certainly had it in the Dame Judi's revival a few years ago, but I can't help feeling Noel would have chosen one of his own opus, or tossed off a little number specially …

Judith Bliss, grande dame of the stage, always performing, was brilliantly done by Jan Ford. Arranging flowers, living Love's Whirlwind, making perfunctory introductions, it was all pitch perfect. I especially enjoyed her scene with the “diplomatist [Steve Braham]. “Smug and pompous”, her long-suffering and insufferable husband, was in the safe hands of Peter Nicholson, who looked and sounded the part to perfection. Their progeny were Laura Bradley as Sorel, perhaps more a fresh, open-air girl than she should have been, but a nicely drawn character, and Nigel Smith as Simon.

Their weekend guests included Marcia Baldry as the overpowering vamp Myra Arundel, and Philip Gordon as the sporty Sandy Tyrell – I've seen heartier types in flannels, but he was good on the awkwardness of the nervous, uncomfortable stranger. The costumes – Judy Lee and Jan Mitchell – were gorgeous, especially the sparkling Act Two evening gowns, and the stripy number for the gauche young flapper, a nice mousy performance from Lynda Shelverton.

The discerning Barn audience loved every minute – there were several old-fashioned rounds of applause – and the attention to detail was exemplary: the hats added to, and subtracted from, the hatstand by the door just one salient example.

Next event in this anniversary year is a visit from the renowned Lord Chamberlain's Men, bringing their all-male Twelfth Night to the imposing lawn by the Barn. Friday July 31.