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FILKINS THEATRE... Founded 1986
'FT PRODUCTIONS'
2022
'An Italian Job'
Saturday 7th May 2022
From Parish Pump of June 2022
'THE ITALIAN JOB': Not that one, a different one
Inspector Montalbano writes: Filkins Theatre once again conjured up a superb evening of murder, mayhem and mascarpone, set in the sort of Italian restaurant where the ratatouille contains real rats, the Mafia do the accounts and death is always on the menu.
With Barry Heath and Kevin Cox, and a cast of thousands, helping to transform the Village Hall into an establishment perfect for dark deeds and darker hearts, the excellent Filkins Theatre stalwarts, Teresa & Jeremy Irwin Singer, Barry (again!), Julia Neame, Sue Ashforth-Smith and Lynne Savege donned immaculate Neapolitan costumes and accents (with the occasional addition of just a little Welsh), to keep the would-be sleuths guessing. Meanwhile, Means Motive and Opportunity pointed accusatory fingers in all directions.
The audience, aided and abetted by Richard Martin and Trish Poole as the enigmatic Inspector Cluelessi and Detective Sofia Sogoode were set the impossible task of working out whodunnit, which, overwhelmed by the volume of herrings of every colour they effortlessly failed to do.
With brave disdain for Health and Safety guidelines, Gill Pagett recruited the evening’s cast which included at least one serial poisoner to cook and serve a memorably excellent Italian meal, while Hilary Skinner and Alan Heath on the bar kept everyone's little grey cells suitably lubricated. Thanks so much to all... And of course to Richard for creating the entire evening. A triumph of fun and nonsense, which left everyone demanding more... But still wondering: ‘So - who DID do it?’
AP & CP
Filkins Theatre has been entertaining its members (and hopefully its audiences!) for more than 30 years. There are monthly play-reading meetings, occasional plays and performances in Filkins Village Hall, and an annual outdoor rehearsed reading. If you would like to join (or come along as aguest and see how things work) do, please, contact our secretary.
Lynne Savege
'August Raucous'
Sunday 14th August 2022
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From Parish Pump of September 2022
'AUGUST RAUCOUS'
My dictionary defines ‘raucous’ as ‘harsh-sounding, loud and hoarse’. So it was with some trepidation that I ventured to a Filkins Theatre ‘entertainment’ on 14th August, even more so as it was billed as ‘audience-participatory’.
It turned out, of course, to be a delightful event on a hot evening, in the courtyard at Cotswold Woollen Weavers, which was suitably decked with welcome sunshades. Fortified by an initial glass of wine, and some delicious and inventive canapés, ably produced by the FT team, Richard Martin set out the form. There were two platforms and four trays containing piles of paper, marked, in turn, jokes, literature, one liners and poems. We were invited to pick from one at random and then perform from one platform, while the other was for the next performer. The jokes were said to be ‘clean’, the poems brief, and nothing longer than a minute, or less.
First up, and she had clearly been ‘volunteered’, was the FT stalwart Sue Ashworth-Smith, who read a joke, quickly followed by FT veteran Julia Neame, with a poem, then newcomer Sarah Jane Poole with literature, then Richard himself, FT leading lady Lynne Savage, and Jonathan from Holwell with a poem, demonstrating that it was not an exclusive Filkins evening, and that there is dramatic talent across the benefice. Jeremy, Alan Law, in a splendid hat, Teresa, Richard again, Alex Jobling all then showed that the audience were getting into their stride. Emboldened, Ian Andrews, a visitor from distant Lechlade, adlibbed an excellent joke - something to do with penguins - and so it continued.
There were some stirring moments: Nicky from Holwell, read Auden’s “Stop All the Clocks” followed by Elaine Long with Jacques ‘All the World’s A Stage’ from ‘As You Like It’. We had excerpts from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, beautifully read. Later we had Jeremy Irwin-Singer reading the St Crispin’s Day speech from Henry V which he prefaced with a touching recollection of former FT member Ken Baxter MC, and the latter’s description of his progress up Sword beach on D-Day.
Fortified by several visits to the bar, both before and during the interval, the audience got bolder. ‘Jokes’ and ‘One-liners’, though in truth it was sometimes hard to distinguish between these categories, began to flow thick and fast. Ian Grey, Diane Blackett, Debbie Law, Debra Andrews, Aidan Irwin-Singer, Jane Martin, Trish Poole…all showed that you don’t need a trek to the Edinburgh fringe to enjoy an ‘August Raucous’. Or should it be “Ruckus”? ( a ‘commotion’).
Teresa Smallbone
'Oversleeping Beauty'
Friday 9th December 2022
Saturday 10th December 2022
Gill Allison writes:
When the tickets promise “fun, fun, fun…” expectations run high and audiences were not disappointed. Filkins Theatre brought us a pantomime, Over Sleeping Beauty, true to tradition with modern over notes.
When the lights went down and carefully chosen excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s ballet score cued the graceful corps de dancers , there were fairies, and the magic began. The two youngest twirlers, Daisy and Emilia Chesterman Wright were definitely enchanting, if not enchanted. If you know your fairy stories and, of course you do, you identified the serious fairies, probably the only straight talking characters in the pantomime, not a silly move or daft joke between them. Azuriel (Lynne Savege, cool in blue) and Carabosse vied convincingly for influence over the Princess Aurora. Evil enchantress Carabosse (Juliet Heslewood), wearing a wicked fascinator fit to startle any horse at Cheltenham Races, disdainfully cursed all around her. How we hissed and booed.
And who knew that Carabosse had a sidekick, one so grotesque that he was almost laughable. Jeremy Irwin- Singer, the inspired director, took on the part of Domestos and played it revoltingly and to great effect.
All the ingredients were there to make a wonderful pantomime meal. King Cedric, Trevor Milne-Day, deployed facial expressions that almost distracted from the sight of his magnificent cod-piece and Avril Payne as his Queen, Semolina, played the elegant regal airhead to match. Their courtly entrance routine was a triumph. And how did such a pair produce the fair young Princess Aurora (Kate Mowbray)? Ingenuity, time and the traditional pantomime stereotype brought us Amy Genschke’s principal boy, Prince Valiant, delivering smacking kisses to break the 100-year spell. Princess Aurora (now Sue Ashforth-Smith) had changed, just a little, but we recognised her for who she was/is.
Woven through the tale and highlighting the magic, tripped, stumbled and buffooned the comic characters, ostensibly key court personnel or unliveried functionaries. The towering presence of Dame Notgoodenough, the Spirella upholstered nanny, failed to intimidate Tickles the Joker, whose effervescent personality persuaded the most unlikely audience participation. Paul Molyneaux and Sally Peach sparred impressively in these roles. Primed to enjoy ourselves we sang to the pianist’s persuasive accompaniment and groaned as a trio of fools messed up whilst the Barry Heath’s Lord Chamberlain kept a lid on the madness, just.
Of course, the performers under the spotlights gave us what we came for and so much more but, and we all know who they are, the back stage and back of the hall crews brought the skills to make it happen. Thanks to the wardrobe mistress, Jane Martin, and how does she do it, wonderful costumes highlighted the magic.