WIDE AWAKE HUMOUR IN THE BEDROOM(Linda Kirkman, The Echo)

“Alan Ayckbourn describes Bedroom Farce as a comedy about real characters who, projected into incredible situations, start behaving in a larger than life manner as the situations appear to them too horribly real.
And situations don't come much more incredible than those in this play, in which people choose the middle of the night for a chat or a spot of DIY furniture construction.
The company scored highly with an ingenious, well designed set - the action takes place in three bedrooms - all on stage at the same time - although it was let down more than once by inaccurate sound and lighting cues.
However most characterisations more than compensated for any technical hitches and there were delightful performances from Martyn French and Rosie Lock as the hapless Trevor and his neurotic wife Susannah, Richard Fudge and Rachel Mackrell (newlyweds Malcolm and Kate) and Paul Tumilty and Jenni Eyre (Nick and Jan). All six created utterly genuine characters whereas I found it difficult to believe in either Ernest or Delia, the older couple.”

MACABRE PLOT IS A DELIGHT(Linda Kirkman, The Echo)

This slightly macabre black comedy was a real delight.

Eric Chappell's story is set around a phial of deadly poison which Vincent (Mark Andrews) is attempting to sell to writer Walter Bryce(Tony Edwards), whose wife Celia (Sheila Clapcott) wants to commit suicide - allegedly. By the time Walter's secretary Angie (Rosie Lock) and hapless Samaritan Withers (Laurie Pacey) have had their say there's no telling what might happen.
The essence of a plot in which almost everyone at some point is poised to drink the poison is split-second timing, without which the stage could be littered with bodies. Thanks to Pete Nunan's expert direction his excellent cast were spot-on.
As one might expect from the man who Rising Damp's Rigsby, the characters were all totally believable and in my mind's eye I could almost see all the little offstage happenings that were so well described, and all the performances were joy.
And what a lovely set - beautifully designed with first-rate props.

MUSICAL SUNSHINE TO BANISH THE WINTER BLUES(Linda Kirkman, The Echo)

There's nothing like a cheerful musical to banish the winter blues, and they don't come much more cheerful than this one. Its other big advantage is that everyone knows the songs, and I'd be suprised if anyone leaves the theatre without humming either the title number or the ever-popular Lambeth Walk.
Although All Saints is primarily a dramatic society it has a suprising number of good singers, obviously will whipped into shape by musical director Alastair Hume. That aspect combined with extremely high acting ability, Lesley Lock's sure direction and Suzi Mollet's fine choreography, has produced a thoroughly enjoyable show. Martyn French, as a cockney barrow boy turned Earl Bill Snibson, is a real charmer who sets an enviably high standard. It is well matched by the rest of the cast, not least Rebecca Legrand(Lady Jacqueline Carstone) and David Heaton(Hon Gerald Bollingbroke), who like Martyn, display a great gift for comedy. Pip Newman is a lovely, if at times slightly reticent, Sally Smith, and there are splendid characterisations too from Paula Davies(Maria, Duchess of Dene), Tony Edwards(Sir John Tremayne) and Kevin Knight(Parchester).