HOME, I’M DARLING By Laura Wade Directed by Robert Derry Players Dramatic Society A warm and friendly welcome at the Players Theatre is just what one needs on a cold wintery November evening. We settled into our seats and were immediately enthralled and delighted as the curtains drew back to reveal a beautiful 1950s set for Home, I’m Darling. Well done to everyone involved in the design and construction who should be proud of their hard work and attention to detail. The colour scheme, dressing and props were as authentic as possible and established a bright and cheery backdrop for the start of the play. Indeed, the start of the play is upbeat, with Judy and Johnny living out their marriage of 1950s perfection as stay-at-home wife and breadwinner husband. They swish around the stage in their vintage clothes, constantly reassuring one another of how happy they are. Judy had taken redundancy from her well-paid accountancy job and wanted to focus her skills on looking after her husband and home. She had persuaded Johnny into a six-month experiment living out their passion for the 1950s through a ‘traditional’ marriage arrangement and non-tech lifestyle. Now, three years later, is the dream starting to become a little stale? Johnny appears to be concerned about finances and is anxiously awaiting a job promotion for the higher salary that comes with it. Judy’s perfect little world is first disturbed with a visit from her friend, Fran, who has seen Johnny out at lunch with an unknown woman. Initially we are not sure which upsets Judy most, the fact that he was out eating pizza with another woman or that he hadn’t eaten the sandwich lunch that she had carefully and lovingly packed for him! But that is just the start: Judy’s fantasy life tarnishes as her husband’s promotion doesn’t materialise, and she is at risk of losing her beloved home and Johnny himself. Cate Berry portrayed the complexity of Judy’s character well. From the outset, she radiates a buoyant positivity as everything in the garden is rosy. With a lovely smile and little
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