Film & Theatre, Reviews | Posted on September 17th, 2024 | return to news
Plays ‘n’ Chips
Broadstone Players Theatre Company, Broadstone War Memorial Hall
Review by Luke Graham
The Broadstone Players hosted a lovely series of community events through early September with their annual evening of plays with a fish-and-chip supper at the interval. This Broadstone tradition has been running for over 30 years.
Audiences came from as far as Christchurch and London to see Plays ‘n’ Chips, which marks the start of the company’s autumn season and gives new members a chance to try out acting and directing.
The trio of one-act plays this year featured two new directors and two new actors. The first play was the comedy ‘Death of a Gerbil’, about what happens to a man’s ever-lasting soul after he dies before he was meant to. First-time director Kurt McLeod also stars as hapless guardian angel Rodney, alongside the excellent Chris Hugill and Sue Gibson, as well as newcomer Debbie Southern. This was my favourite play of the evening.
Next up was ‘Room to Let’ written by local author Malcolm L Miller, a silly, bawdy comedy about a pair of hapless roommates tasked with interviewing two candidates for the spare room. Sue Gibson stole the show as landlord Marilyn, while newcomer Kerri Widley, Chris Kemp, Val Smith and Chris Hugill completed the cast.
The evening ended with ‘The Mazarin Stone’ an adaptation of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories. Andrew Murton did well as the great detective Sherlock Holmes, while Stella Henney brought stage presence and charisma to the role of Mrs Watson. Kerri Widley and Verity Brayshaw were very good as the play’s villains, while Suzanne Viney and Stella Henney rounded out the cast.
As well as the three entertaining plays, the fish and chips supplied were exceptionally tasty, and it was a lovely experience to sit around tables and chat with other members of the audience, many from the local community, while eating. During the second interval, ice creams were sold by Poole Soroptimists to raise money for charity.
The Broadstone Players next production will be the comedy ‘Lucky Numbers’, performed from 19 to 23 November.
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