Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group

18 – 20 April 2024

Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group opened the doors of their Village Hall HQ for a captivating evening of four One Act plays. The four pieces ranged from 20 to 40 minutes, with ten actors involved. Like short stories, single act plays must be crisp, brisk and tight in their setting, characters and exposition. There’s no time for waffle or prologues. It’s lights out, curtain up and go, go go!

That’s certainly what this extremely talented and cohesive drama group provided, in an evening offering glimpses behind the front doors of four very different dwellings.

First up, Mother Figure, written by that colossus of quirky domestic dramas, Sir Alan Ayckbourn. Directed by the artistic colossus of KBDG, Kate Belcher, Lucy, a stay-at-home mum, reveals that she might just have spent rather too much time in her children’s company. Played with wit, energy and authenticity by Claire Wheeler, Lucy treats her awkward adult neighbours, Rosemary and Terry, as if they are infants. Sally Lacey and Mike Varnom steadily succumbed to her cheerfully persistent infantilising treatment, changing from concerned, rather intrusive adults into compliant children. A pacy, humorous rendition of a popular short play, skilfully synthesising situation comedy and farce.

Next up, Housebound by Simon Mawdsley, and directed by Ian Ashby. This award-winning drama opens with the dramatic entrance of the two characters – a gun-wielding thug and, within her own sitting room, a bound, gagged and blindfolded female victim. The initial alarming menace gradually disintegrates as it becomes clear the thug, “Bone”, is a hapless petty-criminal and his victim, Fiona, despite all her many phobias is very much the stronger. The piece gradually unpicks the personalities of the two characters, with a bond developing, particularly in the face of their shared terror for a wasp lurking in the kitchen. Mike Lacey brought great wit to the gradual revelation that he is anything but an experienced gangster. The extremely authentic gun he brandishes is wittily later revealed to be as innocuous and useless as he is. Lucinda Ramm, as initially fearful Fiona, charted a clever performance trajectory from terrified victim to confident superior. The pair worked intuitively together, both physically and in their conversational interplay. Director Ian Ashby cleverly developed the initial violent threat into power games, humour and neat ending. It’s a piece that seems to blend Harold Pinter with Alan Ayckbourn and was a very crafted, confident performance.

After the interval, a touching piece directed with great sensitivity by Fiona Eaton. Reminiscing by Charles Dennison, provides just what it says in the title, although with a heartbreaking final twist. An elderly man, James, is dozing in his armchair when his wife, Jennifer, comes in and the pair reminisce about their life together, from first meeting to the arrival of children and grandchildren. It’s a familiar, loving series of wistful domestic memories realistically and tenderly portrayed by Ian Strange and Mary Elizabeth Shewry. The pair absolutely convince as a long married, utterly devoted, content couple. Their dialogue delivery truly reveals the depth and familiarity of their relationship. Both performances were engagingly and freshly authentic. Occasionally their reverie is interrupted by daughter, Joanne ( Deb Didcock), performing household chores. There is of course a final twist, beautifully handled, when Joanne has to gently remind her father at the end that his wife had passed away a few weeks earlier. Jennifer had only been present as a memory. But crucially not a painful one. Instead, a tender, loving remembrance, with no hint of remorse, anger or loss. A truly warming piece of theatre.

And so to the last piece. KBDG took Anyone Can Dance, (written by Sean Baker) to Oxfordshire drama festivals in 2023. Rightly admired and enthused over by everyone who encountered it, the production was also performed at the National Drama Festival Finals in Coventry. Directed by Kate Belcher, with Dan Sears playing Joe and Emily Eastham, Samantha, it was a privilege to see this performed in the group’s home theatre. Utterly polished and absolutely spellbinding, Dan and Emily truly inhabit the roles of a fairly new couple, wondering how things might have worked between them had they met earlier in their lives. With a finger click and precision lighting, not to mention a constant process of flawless costume changing, Joe and Emily recreated their younger selves and fictional earlier encounters. Deftly transitioning in time and location, each vignette was masterful, bringing developing storylines and different emotions to the stage with true plausibility. Dan and Emily performed with confidence, skill and absolute trust in each other. There was a depth and fluency to everything they did, from glances to dances, and a denouement kiss that brought genuine tears to the eyes. At the end, there was a pause before audience applause. It was a pause of utter admiration – for the true, rare magic which live theatre can sometimes invoke.

Thank you – and commendations – to all involved at KBDG for presenting such a fabulous evening. There is so much work, on stage, behind it, at the technical desk and in front of house to deliver a production as polished as this – an exceptional drama team at the top of their game.

Adrian McGlynn

Banbury Cross Players