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FILKINS THEATRE... Founded 1986
'FT PRODUCTIONS'
2006
'The Spring Revue'
Friday 10th March 2006
This review of the show appeared in Parish Pump in April 2006
SPRING REVUE
On Friday 10th March, Filkins Theatre treated a sell-out audience to their ‘Spring Revue’, which proved to be a sparkling mix of first-class entertainment ranging from Shakespeare and Puccini to Cole Porter and a nearly X-rated comedy! The Filkins Village Hall was transformed from a somewhat chilly place to a warm and cosy atmosphere as the audience responded to each act with great enthusiasm and appreciation.
The proceedings began with Daniel Porter’s stirring rendition of the prologue from Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’, after which the poem ‘The Traveller’ by Walter de la Mere was eloquently recited by Dinny Locke. Next in line, Juliet Heslewood and Liz Ferris performed an enchanting, sea-worthy duet, ‘Has Anybody Seen Our Ship?’ by Noel Coward. The unforgettable Eileen de Brandt and charismatic Richard Martin read a touching but humorous piece, ‘In Memory of Mother’ (who sadly perished in a snowstorm), with stormy and energetic sound-effects provided on cue by Jane Martin.
Barbara Bristow expertly sang two amusing ditties: ‘The Terrible Tale of Tom Gilligan’ and ‘The 12 Days After Christmas’. The messages were clear – never trust a puffed-up politician who used to be a scarecrow, and throttle the turtle doves and toss out the five golden rings but keep one of the drummers for good measure!
To conclude the first half of the evening’s offerings, Jeremy Irwin-Singer, Daniel Porter, Lynn Savege and Pat Scott performed a hilarious ‘Last Tango in Filkins’. While billed as a ribald drama, this mischievous play surely could not have offended even the most susceptible of ears! Directed by Sue Ashforth-Smith, the play was punctuated by great gales of laughter from the audience, especially after not-so-subtle references to some of Filkins’ very own villagers and various body parts. You had to be there…and should have been if you weren’t!
Fresh from her triumph in ‘Last Tango in Filkins’, Pat Scott launched the revue’s ‘My Fair Lady’ medley with her interpretation of Eliza Doolittle’s song, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Luvverly’. Next, Wendy Browne sweetly sang Eliza’s touching song ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’, showing great empathy for her character. The triumph of Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering was celebrated by Peter Browne and Paul Molyneaux’s rendition of ‘You Did It’, which was particularly notable because Paul gallantly took over the part of Higgins the evening before the performance. Well done, Paul!
Peter quickly changed his persona and accent to become Eliza’s cockney father and sang a spirited rendering of ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’. Sue Ashforth-Smith was also transformed, from director to Portia, in order to skilfully recite an extract from Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’.
The talented soloist Bronwen Mills then magically transported the audience to the world of opera with her singing of three pieces by Handel, Puccini, and Gilbert and Sullivan. The wow factor came into play at this point, and amazing pianist Sue Cave rose to the occasion, as she did all evening.
‘Nelson Today’, a tribute to Admiral Nelson by Paul Molyneaux and Michael Schultz, gave a whole new meaning to the famous phrase “Kiss me, Hardy”. Oh, what shocking sacrifices one must make to be politically correct today! Juliet Heslewood took the stage all dressed up and ready to kill off Solomon’s 1000 wives in her dramatic performance of Cole Porter’s ‘Solomon’.
The audience joined in to conclude the evening with a bit of community singing, under the able leadership of Pat Scott, whose energy and dedication made the entire revue possible. At the end of the show, Pat was presented with flowers to mark her retirement as chairman of Filkins Theatre – but not, we hasten to add, from treading the boards.
'The Witches'
November 2006
This review of the show appeared in Parish Pump in In February 2007
"THE WITCHES"
On 17th and 18th November, the scariest place to be was Filkins Village Hall! The world's most evil, scheming WITCHES were in town - aagghh! - and determined to create mayhem in the most disgusting way imaginable. The stage was transformed into the Hotel Magnificent, the venue for the Witches of England's Annual General Meeting, and a gallant band of young players told the dreadful story of a dastardly scheme by the Witches to use a new magic potion to change all our children into mice - horrible!
But those sinister sisters reckoned without the experience and skill of Grandmother, and the courage of Boy-mouse. Pea soup will never seem the same again.... The story was organised into three ‘playlets’, and with Oliver Ashforth-Smith setting the scene, and the Witches starting to arrive at the Hotel, we first met Boy and his Grandmother, and then Bruno Jenkins, a child over-indulged by his mother and nagged by his father, and a classic overweight comfort-eater. He quarrels with Boy, and he makes the mistake of being rude to, but accepting chocolate from, the Grand High Witch. His fate is sealed. By the second ‘playlet’, both Boy and Bruno have been changed into mice. Boy-mouse realises that the Witches hope the mice-children will be caught in traps and killed - and indeed that will eventually be the fate of all the children in the land. He and Bruno join forces, consult a rather taken-aback Grandmother, and form a cunning plan to thwart the wicked Witches.
That plan involves Boy-mouse in an act of great daring and an encounter with a rather forlorn, imprisoned frog who helps Boy-mouse to steal a phial of the magic potion from right under the Grand Witch's nose. The third act saw those awful Witches get their come-uppance. An hilarious scene involving the hotel chefs, waiters, and pandemonium amongst the diners, ensured the Witches were served a meal they would not forget, which culminated in the Grand High Witch disappearing into a tureen of soup - great stuff!
This was an ambitious production with some members of the cast having the additional challenge of changing roles from scene to scene. All the children did well and tackled their roles with gusto, and, at the end, the audience was treated to some of the broadest smiles ever seen on the Village Hall stage.
So congratulations to Ollie (Narrator), Claudia Mears (Boy/Maid), Amy Payne (Doorman/Grandmother), Izzie Mears (Bruno/Grand High Witch), Jerome Farmer ( Mr Jenkins), (Mrs Jenkins), Anna Savage (Grand High Witch/Grandmother/ Narrator), Isla Barton (Witch/Diner), Jessica Steel (Witch/Waitress), Cirsty Attwood (Witch/Diner), Harry Steel (Boy-mouse), Alec Barton (Bruno), Alexander Jobling (Frog/Second Chef), Nel Attwood (Head Waitress), Fraser Bohm (Waiter), Conrad Bohm ( Head Chef). Congratulations also to the Producers of the show: Sue Ashforth-Smith and Pat Scott, and to the able support team of thousands. Well done everyone!
A special ‘well done’ to Oliver Ashforth-Smith, who was directing for the first time - and full marks to Filkins Childrens' Theatre for encouraging young talent in this way. Here's to the next Filkins Children's Theatre production...
Pat Clark