In Production

PACK OF LIES

Our next production is to be Hugh Whitemore's Pack of Lies, the true story (or at least a story based on real events) of the Kroger spy scandal in the 1960s. This is an involving play of drama and suspense, even if you know how it all ends, which tells the story from the perspective of the Krogers' friends and neighbours who are drawn into a world of lies and deceit when MI5 approach them to assist in uncovering the truth.

Playing the key role of MI5 man Stewart is Mike Nower, who coincidentally last appeared for us in our other recent Hugh Whitemore play, Disposing of the Body. Playing the family whose home is 'invaded' by the Secret Service are Terry Cole (Bob), Marion Kimberley-Ryan (Barbara) and Natalie Whitworth (Julie), while their neighbours, the Krogers, are Sean Staines (Peter) and Val Ryan (Helen). Completing the line up are Viv Carey (Thelma) and Rachel Whitworth (Sally). It is good to see yet more new members in the cast, bringing the total number of first Witham appearances over the course of the last year or so to 12 - at least we shouldn't have too many complaints from our audience about always seeing the same old faces on stage!

Pack of Lies will be on stage from the 17th to the 20th of March 2010. To book tickets for this engrossing play just go to the box office page.

Our Last Play

HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES

Sean Staines as Frank and Naseem Khan as Fiona

Alan Ayckbourn is always a popular choice with audiences, especially his earlier work which tends to be funnier and less 'dark' than some his later plays. Even so we were slightly surprised, not to say delighted, with the audiences we had for every performance. After the first night we said what a great house it had been and that it would be fantastic if the other nights were as good. As it happened, it turned out to be the smallest audience of the week!!

On stage the cast of six all gave very convincing performances, with everyone establishing a well-defined and individual character. And the pairings worked well with the three 'married' couples' all having believable and distinctive relationships. The complicated storyline and the simultaneous action in two different locations at once may have confused some of the audience at times but there was no shortage of response, especially in the comic high spots, such as the meal scene and Franks attempts to reconcile the situation even though he has got hold of completely the wrong end of the stick!

Ian Willingham as William and Lucy Parret as Mary

Graham Eyre as Bob with, left, Lucy Parrett as Mary and, right, Mel Brewer as Teresa

After a not uneventful rehearsal period the production week went extremely smoothly and all the compliments from members of the audience made it a very pleasurable week. With good reviews from the press and a healthy profit to add to the equation How The Other Half Loves can truly be said to have been a success on all levels!

Looking Ahead

AUDITION - BETRAYAL

Now that our March production is about to hit the stage (see above) we are looking further ahead to June when we plan to present Betrayal by Harold Pinter. This not, perhaps, among his best-known plays but it is possibly one of the more 'accessible'. It tells a fairly standard tale of a woman who has an affair with her husband's best friend, but that would be too simple for Pinter, so he tells the story in reverse. It starts some time after the affair is over and progresses (mainly) backwards to when it all began. As each scene unfolds it strips away some of the lies and deceit and the manufactured images the characters have of themselves and each other. This helps to bring meaning to their aspirations and regrets and attempts to justify their own behaviour. Or does it? We end at the beginning, watching the seeds of betrayal being sown that lead to the complex characters we see when the play opens.
There are just three parts (two men and one woman) plus a small part of a waiter in one scene. If you would like to get involved, either in the cast or backstage, you are welcome to come along to the open auditions being held at the Public Hall in Collingwood Road, Witham, on Tuesday 30th March and Thursday 1st April at 8.00pm.