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DUNSFOLD Amateur Dramatic Society performed a
special production to packed houses in the village hall.
Breaking with recent tradition, the group staged two one
act plays, Nasty Things Murders by Arthur Lovegrove,
and Last Panto in Little Dunsold adapted from a play
by David Tristram, for their annual show.
The first play, a five-hander set in a retirement home for women, was an inspired choice at a time when amateur societies often have more actresses than actors, and more mature
performers than youngsters.
Four residents settle down to watch a TV dramatisation of a notorious murder. But the TV breaks down before they discover who the murderer was.
During the ensuing chatter and gossip Camilla Fryer, Gillian Kisch, Shirley Jeffrey and Mary Murphy brought out the comedy of the interaction between
their very different characters.
To begin with Mary Murphy's character says very little, but when she does finally speak, the others are left wondering just how she knows about a 20-year-old murder.
Could it be that Mary was the murderess? And what does that mean for them - will they be safe in their beds?
By the time Matron, played by Mary Anne Pryor, comes to announce cocoa, they are all convinced of Mary's guilt. But when questioned outright, she allays their fears.
After all, how difficult can it be to reassure them, given that she was able to convince a jury that someone else wass guilty of the murder!
The second play was cleverly personalised, with humorous references to local people and places getting a warm response from the audience.
A faltering am-dram group discuss and rehearse their forthcoming panto, led by a dynamic John Simper who is certain that `sex
sells'. Joyce Hyslop is not so sure, and is determined not to improve ticket sales by removing her clothes, while Mary Stiles would prefer a musical slant which, given
her character's rather dubious vocal talents, would be unfortunate. David Airey has to divide his
time between tending the dodgy lighting and playing the back end of the pantomime horse. Rehearsals are chaotic and the performance even more so! The fast pace and
lively action gave a good contrast to the first play, and the cast
worked hard to keep it going, both physically and with punchy dialogue.
Both plays benefited from special effects created by Tony Cannings, while Anne Cannings had chosen her background music with care. In spite of the major switch-over between plays, the
sets had not been skimped on detail, and stage management went a lot more smoothly in Nast Things than in Last Panto. A great sense of fun linked audience and company, supplemented
by an excellent supper meal served between the two plays, proving that Dunsfold village entertainment is alive and doing very well.
- Ena Richards
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