Stella becomes increasingly annoyed and wants people to know they actually exist, yet sit in their dressing room in the depths of the theatre day in, day out waiting for their big break. I was very fond of Regina’s knitting skills, there is nothing better to do than chat, knit and be sarcastic with each other when they are waiting for their opportunity to shine. Stella nearly had her break at the end of Act One, when Trixie had fainted on stage; she was being summoned to the stage, finally. But in the faff of unexpected realism, she ran back for her Angolan Goat Shawl only to find Trixie was going back on stage and it wasn’t meant to be. Fennell was a delight to watch during this scene as you saw a prima donna who waits patiently become a chaotic mess in a theatrical panic. Barrington’s portrayal of Charlotte throughout the play was submissive and she constantly tries to please both the understudies and the Director and it was clear her character had grown to love both understudies and they formed an ever-growing relationship. Act Two began with Charlotte and PQ, the Director, sat in the dressing room. PQ was played by Timo Griffin (Debut ALT performance) and for such a small part in the play, Griffin portrayed him well in exceptionally tight leather with a forceful, cocky attitude. He moved around his chair and stage well, charmed the understudies to their face and spanked Charlotte when he left - exactly what you would expect of his over-bearing character. His presence changed the demeanour of the leading characters as they tried to impress him when presenting him with the performances they had been rehearsing. However, it was short lived when PQ made the decision, following Trixie being advised not to perform on medical grounds but to bring in a known actress to play the part temporally, making Stella the ‘Understudy’s understudy’ which, as you would expect, caused upset and frustration. Stella had a violent outburst, resulting in trashing her dressing room and throwing items at Regina. The scene was well controlled and felt organic and natural. The ‘Known Actress’ was played by Barbara Steel and her delicate tones suited the character well. She had great make-up, an effective costume, and you really felt she was more upper class and well spoken above the understudies. Obviously, this upset the apple cart and the trio of Charlotte, Stella and Regina became defensive and irritated. Steel’s monologue was absorbing as you could feel the tension grow in the dressing room. Her projection and dialogue were delivered with determination as Fennell and Johnson rolled back their eyes and reacted perfectly. I wanted to highlight the hard work this cast had put into this production and only having a seven week lead in, with hours of dialogue is hard work. They should be very proud of the performances they delivered under Cook’s direction, and the
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