Woolstore Theatre One Act Play Festival

FOR three nights last week [9th – 11th April] the Woolstore Theatre hosted a One Act Play Festival with local drama groups and playwrights competing for the opportunity to perform in this years All England Theatre Festival. The Adjudicator was Sonia Woolley, a professional actress and director, for many years associated with the Salisbury Playhouse. Ms. Woolley’s television credits include ‘Tenko ‘and the second series of ‘Casualty,’ she has appeared regularly and toured Pakistan with the Jill Freud Southwold Summer Theatre as well as is a long- standing member of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators.

The Mere Amateur Dramatic Society offering was ‘Gold Braid and Cap Badge,’ was one of three original plays in the Festival where the director wrote the script as well. It won the Marshall Award for Best Original Play for Adrienne Howell as well as Best Actress for Juliet Booth who played Daisy. Ms Woolley described it as an interesting and well- constructed piece with a satisfying ending. We meet Daisy with her mother and husband in the autumn of 1914, after a band concert where their son, a young man who lives for music, has been playing. We learn he has an exciting prospect to advance in his career. While her mother and husband wonder at where the talent comes, Daisy tells the audience how she tried to discourage the boy without success. We then go back to her youth when she escaped her life on the farm and her suitor to work in a hotel in the city where she met Otto, who played in a German Band and lived for music! Daisy’s secret becomes clear when she learns that the musical advancement is in a military band - and her unguarded outburst “He can’t fight against Them!”

‘ Little Grimley Presents Strictly Sex Factor (On Ice )’ by David Tristram , directed by Caroline Fielding was set in a village hall , came second in the competition as well as winning The Woolstore Committee Award for Best Supporting Actor for Mark Rhodes who played Bernard. David Southey had been the runner up in the Best Actor for his role as Bernard both well deserved. The Athenaeum Limelight Players had a confident quorum of actors with very differ personalities who performed with panache! Especially commended was the unscripted dancing set change that added greatly to the enjoyment.

Pewsey Vale Amateur Dramatics Society Youth Theatre was undoubtedly the unexpected en masse stars of the Festival with their original play ‘We Are All Individuals’ written by their director Nettie Baskcomb Brown. The synopsis ‘A dark comedy with Orwellian undertones. Dolly the sheep and her family lead a quiet life in the green fields

where she was genetically engineered- until the Government offers millions of pounds to fund a scientific experiment on the flock.’ The audience had no idea what they were getting – what they saw was a very skilfully constructed play with an extremely disciplined cast of young people. Special mention must be made of the young actress at the front of the flock who attracted the attentions, not once but twice, of the Woolstore butterfly. She remained completely focused and unflustered while it flapped on her T-shirt, resisting any instinct to brush it away! The flock behaviour was perfectly choreographed, the costumes simple and effective, the message relevant and current. It won the George Trophy for Best junior actor for David Smith who played the scientist and the well- deserved discretionary Adjudicator’s List Prize.

Pewsey Vale Amateur Dramatics Society’s second play of the evening was Tony Layton’s ‘Sharks In The Custard’ directed by Steve Clements set in a Municipal Art Gallery. It opens with a rather static duologue between two cleaning ladies in a modern art gallery. The Adjudicator commented that it was an interesting idea – bucking the system but difficult piece to bring together as it was very wordy and without much action. I felt it was a dull play for a festival, despite the vivacity of the actresses and the excellent selection of differing regional accents, it was under rehearsed and by the end boring.

The final evening we had two very contrasting plays- ALPS Warminster chose ‘Have We Come That Far’ written and directed by Marc Cox. The play was set in a Cemetery possibly in France or Flanders, two women meet by a war grave and discover a link with the past. The Adjudicator especially complimented Jenny Sachs warm performance as Cynthia and Aynsley Minty’s WWI soldier Edward. Her observation that this was a rather downbeat production that could have benefitted from uplifting was well observed. I thought the back projections would have added to the play but for the technical difficulties and the fact that one of the lights shone onto the screen so the picture was only partially visible. This is a thoughtful play with possibilities that still needs work.

The Woolstore Bowl for the Winning Play that will go forward to the Mercia Division Quarter Finals in Wootton Bassett at the end of the month, was another David Tristram comedy ‘What’s For Pudding’ performed by the Woolstore Country Theatre and directed by Derek Miles. Ms Woolley described this as a light, brittle comedy with a well- rehearsed and confident cast. We intrude on Mary (Sirene Cleife) and Jack (Alan Biggs) on a boring Saturday night, their dull routine is interrupted by Maureen ( Christine Powell) and Ted ( Angus Bramwell ) followed by Dennis who only wants to look in a catalogue and buy some new trousers. As the evening goes on the drinks flow , the tension in the marriages mounts to the final satisfactory denouement. Derek Miles has a history of picking the right play for a festival, this was witty, fast paced and perfectly cast and the audience loved it! Romy Wyeth