All England Theatre Festival Northern Semi-Final 2023 – Valley Community Theatre

The northern semi – final proudly showcases its dramatic offerings in this penultimate round of the All England Theatre Festival with the north proving its standard of community theatre has the potential to be a strong contender to win, as groups battle for a spot in the final. 

The Valley Theatre Netherley, known as the ‘little theatre with a big heart’, serves as host for this weekend of local theatrical talent in a diverse programme of one act plays under the watchful eye of adjudicator Christopher Baglin. The Valley Theatre is spacious and adaptable, just right for this type of event. The following review covers the first day of the semi-finals and judging by the standard of the performances, it looks to be a weekend of fabulous theatre.   

Saltburn ’53 Drama Group opened the evening with Alan Bennett’s ‘A Cream Cracker Under the Settee’, a dramatic monologue brilliantly performed by Sally Lewis as 75-year-old widower ‘Doris’ who we meet in the immediate aftermath of a fall whilst cleaning at home.  As she waits for passers-by to call for help, Doris’s humorous recollections are underpinned with memories, some trivial and ‘silly’, whilst others deeply personal and upsetting; we see how trauma can often be left dormant in a generation of older people whose attitude is to ‘keep calm and carry on’. Doris’s psychological evolution is captured nicely by Lewis who gives the audience enough to be able to interpret and make sense of what really is happening to Doris during this pivotal, maybe, final moments of her life.  The lovely touches of music, nicely reflecting the passing of time, accompanied by the slight dimness of lighting feeds into the melancholic diminishing of Doris’s staunchness as the reality and weight of her situation sinks in. Director David Jones and crew successfully bring together an emotional touching piece of theatre, representing themes of loss, love, isolation and loneliness experienced by our ageing generation.

Bus Stop Productions present ‘The Waiting’ written and directed by Bev Clark, depicting a timeless, placeless room where four women mysteriously find themselves. Confusion transpires into realisation and some startling revelations in this existentialist piece with themes of deceit, forgiveness and control. The strong cast of 5 harness a nice synergy to deliver the complexities of the characters. The non-linear narrative brings a sense of unease and twists and turns makes this a highly watchable piece. Clark makes fantastic use of colour, sound and lighting to encapsulate the absurd, sometimes unnerving situation, with streams of consciousness as the women try to remember what was and make sense of what is. Upsetting themes, including abuse and suicide are not sensationalised but dealt with sensitively, and are important to the direction of the storytelling. An enjoyable, gripping piece which arrests all senses of the audience.

The final performance from Keyhole Theatre Company, not competing in the competition but a welcomed addition to the evening brought all the laughs with ‘Speed School’ an engaging comedy set during a speed awareness course. Albert Hastings nicely plays the authoritative and impatient Tutor whose teachings falls on deaf ears as the group disrupt and rebel against their enforced rehabilitation. Writers Carol Roache and Emma McElroy provided plenty of laugh out loud moments from the audience delivered with some comic timing by the cast, especially Irene Morrison, with naturally funny bones, is delightful as Pat.    

Overall, an enjoyable evening of high-quality theatre, which provoked emotion and engaged the audience. Albeit some slight pacing issues and the odd front of house avoidable distractions, all contenders have a viable chance of reaching the All England final. The opportunity to perform in this festival is a real treat for local actors and creatives, providing a spotlight for local community talent to shine.       

You can buy tickets for the All England Final due to take place on the 3^rd June in Tewkesbury, tickets available from http://www.allenglandtheatrefestival.co.uk/

Reviewer: Gill Lewis

Reviewed: 29^th April 2023

*No star rating due to multiple productions showcased