The Cheshire Drama Festival 2024 – Chester Little Theatre

Seven very different productions took place over the weekend of the 23^rd and 24^th March at The Chester Little Theatre as part of the Cheshire Drama Festival. The festival gives companies from across the county the opportunity to compete for a place in the Northern Semi Final of the All England Theatre Festival. All of the one act plays performed were watched and scored by adjudicator Bob Tomson.

Chester Little Theatre was the perfect venue for the festival weekend, the auditorium, which seats 124 was comfortable and there was plenty of space to walk around during the breaks between performances. The theatre has a welcoming atmosphere and is a hidden gem in the busy city.  

On Saturday evening, three performances took place. All original scripts. Starting with ‘Voyage of The Beagle’ by D.T.A.T. and written by Alex Wight. It was a strong opening for the festival. The audience were taken into space following a post climate catastrophe on Earth. Jack Mayat played by Duncan Crompton was great as the captain, haunted by grief and isolation. The set was imaginative and effective, echoing the sense of distress felt by the characters. The use of video inserts enhanced the story, especially the onboard CCTV.

Casagua Comedy Theatre gave us ‘The Magician’s Assistant’ written by John Waterhouse. Paul and Stacy, played by Owen Russell and Mari Sevo are short of money. Stacy rents out the spare bedroom for extra cash, and what follows is a comedy farce full of magic, spies and misadventure. The company seemed a little nervous, and I had to concentrate to follow what was going on, but there were plenty of laughs. However, I feel a little more work and rehearsal would make this a stronger piece.

‘Malion’ written by Joseph Meardon and presented by Tired Horses is a re-telling with a feminist approach of the classical myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. For me, this was one of the most exciting plays in the festival and an example of the creative talent which can be found in Cheshire. The cast were great, but Sarah Elise-France gave an exceptionally strong performance as Galatea. The set was modest, the stage dressed as an artists studio and the lighting was simple, but effective. There was lots of strong language and discussion of a sexual nature, I realise this is necessary to the story, but at one point it felt repetitive and overused.

On Sunday, there were four productions. Starting off with ‘Sign for Delivery’ by Chester Little Theatre. An original piece written by Andy Fox-Hutchings. Set in the future where packages are sent to you before you order them this production saw a group of friends gathered together for their annual reunion. All is going well until a package arrives which throws these friendships into question. I enjoyed watching this, there were parts which really made me laugh, and I loved when Harriet told her old friend exactly what she thought of him. The set seemed minimal and didn’t really add to the story, but the use of video showing mobile phone calls and the ring doorbell was genius.

‘The Regina Monologues’ written by Rebecca Russell and Jenny Wafer was performed by Bus Stop Productions who gave us a modern take on the wives of Henry VIII. This was beautifully staged and performed exceptionally well. The costumes, all uniform in black and red, mirrored the set design. The cast moved together in formation, each one getting a turn to tell their side of the story. All of the cast were great, but I particularly enjoyed the performances from Abbey Fitzhenry as Anne Boleyn and Hayley Brown as Katherine Parr.

Carlton Players were next on stage with ‘Oligarchs’, written by Phyllis Brighouse and inspired by Aristophanes’ Knights. Too many men are dying in the ‘special military operation’ in Sparta and the Mothers of Athens conspire to get rid of their corrupt political leader. I found this piece intriguing but thought more was needed to emphasise the Mothers plight. The set and costume were effective in placing the story in Ancient Greece. There didn’t seem to be much movement in this production, and as a result the cast seemed static at times. I feel more work is needed to make this piece stronger,

‘A Little bit of Brisket’ by Ashton Hayes Theatre was the last piece to be performed. Written by Simon Jones, this dark comedy had me hooked from the very beginning. Although we’re never told, the setting and costumes reflect a secure medical facility. We meet Tina, played by Teena Wyatt and her nurse played by Felicity Parry. We soon learn why both characters are there, but is everything as it seems? I lost some of the closing dialogue due to the sound, but I really enjoyed watching this.

At the end of the performances, Bob Tomson provided encouraging feedback for the companies and thanks were given to the technical team who supported all of the productions across the two days.

The awards were presented by special guest, Ian Puleston-Davies.

The winners were;

Best Performance in a Female Role – Sarah Elise-France as Galatea in ‘Malion’.

Best Performance in Male Role – Duncan Crompton as Jack Mayat in ‘Voyage of The Beagle’.

Best Director – Bev Clark ‘The Regina Monologues’.

Best Original Play – ‘Sign for Delivery’ Chester Little Theatre.

Best Stage Presentation – ‘The Regina Monologues.’

Most Promising Performance – Naomi Reddy as Katie in ‘The Regina Monologues’.

The Adjudicator’s Award – Kat Tanczos in ‘Voyage of The Beagle’.

The AEFT Trophy for Best Cheshire Festival Production – ‘The Regina Monologues’.

It was a great weekend; I had a wonderful time. The festival gives an opportunity to see a range of different plays and it’s a brilliant way to support local theatre and new writing.