REVIEW
Lindisfarne Productions
Absent Friends
by Alan Ayckbourn
Tuesday 7th – Saturday 11th May
performances at 7.45pm nightly and 2.30pm Saturday matinee
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre, London Road, Westcliff on Sea
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CURTAIN CALL with Steve McCartney and Rob Moore
Lindisfarne Productions
Absent Friends
by Alan Ayckbourn
Tuesday 7th – Saturday 11th May
performances at 7.45pm nightly and 2.30pm Saturday matinee
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre, London Road, Westcliff on Sea
plus
CURTAIN CALL with Steve McCartney and Rob Moore
As Oscar Wilde famously satirised Victorian Society, Alan Ayckbourn, at least in his earlier plays, focused on the middle classes in 1960s & 70s Britain, who, whilst upwardly socially mobile and often quite well off financially, were not necessarily as happy as they might have appeared to be.
Britain’s most prolific playwright, with at least 90 plays to his credit, ruthlessly exposes anguish and simmering resentments behind the net curtains in those pretty suburban houses.
Lindisfarne has chosen his 1974 play, Absent Friends, to present for its spring offering in the Dixon Studio. A tea party is being given by Diana to bring some comfort and consolation to Colin, her husband Paul’s friend from some years back. Colin’s fiancee Carol, has recently drowned in a tragic accident, and his former pals, wait uncomfortably for their guest to arrive.
From the outset, the atmosphere is uneasy. Diana is doing her best to keep cheerful, whilst tending to her guests, gum-chewing Evelyn, who would rather read her magazine, and well meaning Marge, whose husband Gordon has suffered some kind of calamity at home, and is indisposed. Diana, strongly played by Debbie Smerdon, is not a happy lady. Her husband, Paul, is nowhere to be seen, and she strongly suspects he is having an affair with none other than Evelyn, who she is forced to tolerate at this tea party. Moreover, when he finally appears, Paul seems baffled as to why his wife has gone to the trouble of inviting Colin at all, and makes every effort to be as unhelpful as possible, adding to Diana’s distress.
Meanwhile, Marge is trying to keep her (unseen) husband Gordon from further disasters on the end of the telephone, whilst John, Evelyn’s husband, is a bundle of hyper-active nerves, barely able to sit down for more than a few seconds.
Little wonder then, that by the time Colin finally turns up, tensions are almost at breaking point. He is blissfully unaware of the state of everyone in the room, and this is where the fun really begins. After such a long build up, we watch him literally having to console everyone else in the room, rather than the other way around.
The glory of the play is watching how miserable these people all make each other, and wondering who will 'put their foot in it' next. Ayckbourn is a master craftsmen of comedy, which is particularly apparent in this deceptively simple play. The setting never changes, and the tea party is played out in real time. The tension mounts slowly and surely. We don’t miss a minute.
Each role is very well written and developed. It is here that Lindisfarne really scores. The company of six actors are all extremely well cast, and at the top of their game. As a result, on opening night, there was no hint of nerves, and not a line was missed.
Graham Smerdon directs with an expert touch, allowing each actor to shine in their roles. The relationships are well drawn, and very believable. Carly Davison, in particular, diminutive, all huge glasses and huge 70’s hairdo is a riot as Marge. When she is on the phone to Gordon, her face tells a story, and her timing is absolutely impeccable. Meanwhile Steve McCartney makes a welcome return to acting here as Paul. His has an imposing energetic presence and has no problem with being heard either. Tracey Ferriello and Robert Moore, both new actors to me, contrast so well together as the mismatched Evelyn and John.
The toughest challenge belongs to Nicholas Jacobs. We have heard so much about Colin by the time he finally appears, so the actor playing him has to establish himself very quickly. Nicholas gives us a very sympathetic portrait of a man who has loved, and lost, but feels lucky to have found the love of his life. He has come to terms with his loss, and it is this contrast with the others, that forms the centre of the play.
If any of this sounds maudlin, it is not in the least. Instead we have an impeccably observed comedy, rich in period detail with many laugh-out-loud funny lines too. I absolutely loved it, and could easily watch it again. Make sure you don’t miss Absent Friends. It is a great evening in the theatre.
Review by Andrew Walters
Britain’s most prolific playwright, with at least 90 plays to his credit, ruthlessly exposes anguish and simmering resentments behind the net curtains in those pretty suburban houses.
Lindisfarne has chosen his 1974 play, Absent Friends, to present for its spring offering in the Dixon Studio. A tea party is being given by Diana to bring some comfort and consolation to Colin, her husband Paul’s friend from some years back. Colin’s fiancee Carol, has recently drowned in a tragic accident, and his former pals, wait uncomfortably for their guest to arrive.
From the outset, the atmosphere is uneasy. Diana is doing her best to keep cheerful, whilst tending to her guests, gum-chewing Evelyn, who would rather read her magazine, and well meaning Marge, whose husband Gordon has suffered some kind of calamity at home, and is indisposed. Diana, strongly played by Debbie Smerdon, is not a happy lady. Her husband, Paul, is nowhere to be seen, and she strongly suspects he is having an affair with none other than Evelyn, who she is forced to tolerate at this tea party. Moreover, when he finally appears, Paul seems baffled as to why his wife has gone to the trouble of inviting Colin at all, and makes every effort to be as unhelpful as possible, adding to Diana’s distress.
Meanwhile, Marge is trying to keep her (unseen) husband Gordon from further disasters on the end of the telephone, whilst John, Evelyn’s husband, is a bundle of hyper-active nerves, barely able to sit down for more than a few seconds.
Little wonder then, that by the time Colin finally turns up, tensions are almost at breaking point. He is blissfully unaware of the state of everyone in the room, and this is where the fun really begins. After such a long build up, we watch him literally having to console everyone else in the room, rather than the other way around.
The glory of the play is watching how miserable these people all make each other, and wondering who will 'put their foot in it' next. Ayckbourn is a master craftsmen of comedy, which is particularly apparent in this deceptively simple play. The setting never changes, and the tea party is played out in real time. The tension mounts slowly and surely. We don’t miss a minute.
Each role is very well written and developed. It is here that Lindisfarne really scores. The company of six actors are all extremely well cast, and at the top of their game. As a result, on opening night, there was no hint of nerves, and not a line was missed.
Graham Smerdon directs with an expert touch, allowing each actor to shine in their roles. The relationships are well drawn, and very believable. Carly Davison, in particular, diminutive, all huge glasses and huge 70’s hairdo is a riot as Marge. When she is on the phone to Gordon, her face tells a story, and her timing is absolutely impeccable. Meanwhile Steve McCartney makes a welcome return to acting here as Paul. His has an imposing energetic presence and has no problem with being heard either. Tracey Ferriello and Robert Moore, both new actors to me, contrast so well together as the mismatched Evelyn and John.
The toughest challenge belongs to Nicholas Jacobs. We have heard so much about Colin by the time he finally appears, so the actor playing him has to establish himself very quickly. Nicholas gives us a very sympathetic portrait of a man who has loved, and lost, but feels lucky to have found the love of his life. He has come to terms with his loss, and it is this contrast with the others, that forms the centre of the play.
If any of this sounds maudlin, it is not in the least. Instead we have an impeccably observed comedy, rich in period detail with many laugh-out-loud funny lines too. I absolutely loved it, and could easily watch it again. Make sure you don’t miss Absent Friends. It is a great evening in the theatre.
Review by Andrew Walters
Colin must be comforted in his grief over the death of his fiancée so his friends Diana, Paul, Marge, John and Evelyn, who never met the girl, arrange a tea party for him.
Understandably they are all on edge wondering what to say, but there is more to their unease, Marge's husband is perpetually out of circulation with trivial illnesses and they are all kept together by a mixture of business and cross marital emotional ties. By the time Colin arrives for tea, the tension has escalated considerably.
This 70's classic is one of Alan Ayckbourn's most successful plays.
The play premiered on 17 June 1974 at the LIbrary Theatre, Scarborough, before opening in the West End the following year and has been regularly revived since making it one of the most popular plays in the Ayckbourn play canon.
Tickets £16 and £15
Box Office: 0343 310 0030
or via the website
www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Understandably they are all on edge wondering what to say, but there is more to their unease, Marge's husband is perpetually out of circulation with trivial illnesses and they are all kept together by a mixture of business and cross marital emotional ties. By the time Colin arrives for tea, the tension has escalated considerably.
This 70's classic is one of Alan Ayckbourn's most successful plays.
The play premiered on 17 June 1974 at the LIbrary Theatre, Scarborough, before opening in the West End the following year and has been regularly revived since making it one of the most popular plays in the Ayckbourn play canon.
Tickets £16 and £15
Box Office: 0343 310 0030
or via the website
www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Meet the cast John and Evelyn video
Cast:
Diana – Debbie Smerdon
Paul – Steve McCartney
John – Robert Moore
Evelyn – Tracey Ferriello
Marge – Carly Davison
Colin – Nick Jacobs.
Directed by Graham Smerdon.
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindisfarneProd
CURTAIN CALL with Steve McCartney and Rob Moore
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Steve McCartney, 62, from Southend on Sea plays Paul after a return to acting after a five year break.
How long have you been a member of Lindisfarne? I’ve been in Lindisfarne nearly 30 years now. Why did you join? I joined Lindisfarne because I was interested in auditioning for the play they were doing at that time A Murder Has Been Arranged by Emlyn Williams What was the last play/musical you saw? The last play I saw was A Normal Heart about the formation of the New York Gay Rights advocacy in the 1980’s If you could play any role, what would it be? If I could choose such a role it might be to play Nixon in the play Frost/Nixon. What’s your dream role? I wouldn’t actually say I had a dream role as such? When not at rehearsals I can mainly be found… On YouTube, I have a channel Let’s Talk Criterion, where I review world cinema, I enjoy preparing those videos, the channel now has a decent subscription which is most encouraging. |
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What is your favourite part of the play and why?
For me it’s the second half where the realisation sets in for my character and I become more introspective, without giving too much away.
Describe your character in Absent Friendsin 3 words.
Unlikeable, Chauvinistic, Sarcastic (not a nice person really).
How do you learn your lines?
I usually read them over and then once more familiar I use a recording to repeat them.
Who is your favourite actor?
My favourite actor is Bryan Cranston he seems to have an amazing acting range which he demonstrated in Breaking Bad.
Have you ever had any stage mishaps?
One or two, the one I still remember is in a production of A Month in the Country where I came and said my opening line from the Second Act, the cast had to quickly improvise so the audience didn’t notice and I had to go out and wait until much later in the act to come back on where I first entrance should have been.
Why do you think people should see the show?
This play is a study of dysfunctional relationships and how people don’t realise how bad things look from the outside, until it is pointed out, they are trapped in their own bubble and unaware of their behaviour.
For me it’s the second half where the realisation sets in for my character and I become more introspective, without giving too much away.
Describe your character in Absent Friendsin 3 words.
Unlikeable, Chauvinistic, Sarcastic (not a nice person really).
How do you learn your lines?
I usually read them over and then once more familiar I use a recording to repeat them.
Who is your favourite actor?
My favourite actor is Bryan Cranston he seems to have an amazing acting range which he demonstrated in Breaking Bad.
Have you ever had any stage mishaps?
One or two, the one I still remember is in a production of A Month in the Country where I came and said my opening line from the Second Act, the cast had to quickly improvise so the audience didn’t notice and I had to go out and wait until much later in the act to come back on where I first entrance should have been.
Why do you think people should see the show?
This play is a study of dysfunctional relationships and how people don’t realise how bad things look from the outside, until it is pointed out, they are trapped in their own bubble and unaware of their behaviour.
Below: The cast in rehearsal
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Rob Moore, 50, from Southend plays John
How long have you been a member of Lindisfarne? One year Why did you join? In order to take part in Absent Friends What was the last play/musical you saw? The Little Mermaid by the Leigh Operatic and Dramatic Society If you could play any role, what would it be? What’s your dream role? I don't really have such a thing When not at rehearsals I can mainly be found… Doing DIY, being a dad or preparing for Halloween What is your favourite part of the play and why? I like it when Paul gets aggravated with Colin and tells him to shut up. It's the only time Colin gets reminded that not everyone is as happy as he is Describe your character in Absent Friends in 3 words. Unhappy, geeky, average |
How do you learn your lines?
By recording them on my phone and playing them back
Who is your favourite actor?
Matt Damon
Have you ever had any stage mishaps?
Managing to jump from the first act to the third act in an Alan Ayckbourn play, leaving the stage manager no choice but to bring the lights down, explain to the audience and set us off to have another go.
Why do you think people should see the show?
Even though it's not a particularly happy play, it will remind people their life is much better than this lot.
By recording them on my phone and playing them back
Who is your favourite actor?
Matt Damon
Have you ever had any stage mishaps?
Managing to jump from the first act to the third act in an Alan Ayckbourn play, leaving the stage manager no choice but to bring the lights down, explain to the audience and set us off to have another go.
Why do you think people should see the show?
Even though it's not a particularly happy play, it will remind people their life is much better than this lot.