Act Reviews 2024 / 2025 Season

often trying to assert her authority and steer the group back to what she sees as the appropriate behaviour for a WI chapter. Claire was hilarious - her physical acting made us laugh, and her frazzled demeanour was just beautifully portrayed. The badminton scene was a real highlight! David Francis gave a touching and memorable performance as John, Annie’s husband, whose presence and impact were felt throughout the play. His humour with Sarah’s Annie soothed the jarring reality of his illness, and ultimately his death. At the end of the show, he was brought back to the stage to walk amongst the sunflowers with his wife - not a dry eye in the house. Utterly beautiful. The cameo appearances were also a treat. Michael Shneck as Lawrence, the shy photographer, brought a wonderful awkwardness to his role, while Sophie Williams as the overbearing Brenda Hulse had the audience roaring with laughter in her brief but unforgettable appearance. She portrayed the broccoli bore brilliantly, completely oblivious that the ladies of the WI didn’t give two hoots about the origins of the green vegetable! Together, the ensemble was slick and funny. The direction, pacing, and staging of the play were seamless, with each scene flowing beautifully into the next, balancing moments of hilarity with touching reflections on friendship, loss, and the power of community. The ensemble were part of the changes of scenery as cleaners at the church hall - totally natural and a very clever way of moving set, furniture, props - and moving the timeline along. Moments of note for the ensemble that really had an impact, include the reading of the fan mail. The ladies started reading letters, and ensemble members, dressed in black, standing in front of the stage in a spotlight, and speaking aloud the words in the letters. It felt very real and genuine, as if the people in the spotlight actually wrote the letters. And as more letters came in, they fell from above the stage, covering the whole

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