SOUTHEND THEATRE SCENE
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Main feature writer - Kim Tobin
  • COMING UP
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
    • David Streames Interview
    • Daniel O'Donnell
    • Matt Wycliffe Interview - Million Dollar Quartet
    • Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
    • Tony Stockwell Interview
    • Priscilla Queen of the Desert Tour - Interview with Emma Crossley
    • Phil Walker - Guitar Heroes
    • Rock for Heroes Review
    • Once the Musical - We interview Daniel Healy & Emma Lucia as we are invited to watch the cast rehearse!
    • The Overtones 2019
    • Derren Brown - Showman
    • Stephen K Amos Interview
    • Geoff Norcott INTERVIEW
    • Diversity and Kev Orkian Interviews
    • Giles Cooper talks about Nigel Slater's TOAST
    • Kristian Lavercombe - Riff Raff - Rocky Horror Show
    • Dan Partridge & Martha Kirby talk Grease the Musical
    • Village Green Festival 2019
    • Lee Mead, David Streames & Richard Foster
    • Craig Revel Horwood
    • Jenny Gayner
    • Nigel Slater
    • Alex Bourne Interview - Annie Tour 2019
    • Beverley Craven Interview
    • Gary Barlow and Tim Firth Interview - Calendar Girls
    • Tom Stade 2019 Interview
    • Karen Gibson - The Kingdom Choir
    • AJ Pritchard
    • Jonathan Wrather - The Picture of Dorian Gray - Tilted Wig Productions
    • Kevin Clifton & Graziano Di Prima Interview - Burn the Floor
    • Elesha Paul Moses Interview - Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It?
    • Juliet Mills & Maxwell Caulfield Interview
    • Juliet Mills Interview
    • Holly Liburd - The Bodyguard
    • Alexandra Burke - The Bodyguard
    • Janine Duvitski Interview
    • Matthew Kelly & David Yelland
    • Aled Jones Interview
    • Quadrophenia Live Interview with Doug Freeman
    • Diversity's Ashley Banjo, Jordan Banjo, Perri Kiely & Terry Smith
    • Ali James & James Cranfield
    • Ed Speleers, Mairi Barclay & Adam Lilley
    • Rachel Lumberg & Faye Christall Interview
    • Rain Main - Mathew Horne & Ed Speleers
    • Charles Sharman-Cox
    • Matt Terry & Antoine Murray-Straughan
    • Collabro Road to the Royal Albert Hall Interview
    • Steve Michaels - Elvis
    • Paul Young Interview
    • Joe Pasquale
    • Jersey Boys Interview
    • Colin Blunstone - The Zombies
    • Dave Kelly - The Blues Band
    • Clive John - Johnny Cash Roadshow
    • Paul Opacic & Richard Walsh
    • Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace
    • Alexander O'Neal Interview
    • Kevin Whately - Our Finest Hour
    • Jenny Eclair - Grumpy Old Women Tour
    • Séan Aydon - Great Expectations
    • Joe McElderry Live in Concert
    • Nichola McAuliffe Interview
    • Natalie Anderson & Jonathan Halliwell
    • Geoff Norcott Interview
    • Mark Steel - Comedian Interview
    • Debra Stephenson & Alice Barlow
    • Dr Feelgood's Kevin Morris
    • Ali James Interview - Oh Yes It Is!
    • Tom Stade Interview
    • Sarah Earnshaw - Nativity the Musical
    • Karina Jones - Wait Until Dark
    • The Stylistics
    • Tom Chambers & Charlotte Wakefield
    • Jessie Wallace - Deathtrap
    • Paul Bradley - Deathtrap
    • George Kemp - The Wipers Times
    • Joe McElderry - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    • Ian Hislop & Nick Newman - The Wipers Times
    • Chris Simmons, All or Nothing the Musical
    • Caroline Flack, Tom Chambers Interview
    • Ruth Madoc
    • Scott Reid - Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
    • Samuel Clemens, Director
    • Elizabeth Elvin
    • Ray Cooney - Out of Order
    • Susie Amy
    • Sue Holderness
    • Shaun Williamson
    • Carrie Hope Fletcher & Oliver Ormson
    • Geoff Norcott
    • Navi - King of Pop
    • Damian Williams Interview
    • Carrie Hope Fletcher Interview
    • Samantha Womack Interview
    • Les Dennis Interview
    • Clive Mantle - The Verdict
    • Stephen Bailey Interview
    • Steve Hackett Interview
    • Alastair Whatley - The Original Theatre Company
    • Paul Carrack Interview
    • Janine Johnson - Back to Bacharach Interview
    • Lewis Griffiths - Dirty Dancing
    • Ben Portsmouth Elvis Tribute
    • Paul Nicholls - Shawshank Redemption
    • Anne Odeke - Night Must Fall
    • Elaine Paige
    • Jimmy Osmond - Christmas Extravaganza
    • Brian Conley & Gok Wan
    • Jonathan Kiley - Qdos Pantomine Producer
    • Lee Mead - Some Enchanted Evening
    • Maximum Rhythm & Blues
    • Joe McElderry - Northern Light Tour
    • Carol Harrison - All or Nothing
    • Paul Cattermole - The Rocky Horror Show
    • Tommy Steele
    • Cheryl Baker - Formerly of Bucks Fizz
    • Gabrielle Cocca from Cats the Musical
    • PJ Proby Interview
    • Ashleigh & Pudsey - Mission ImPudseyble
    • I'm Cold - Alex Thorn
    • Mon Amie - supporting Jason Donovan
    • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
    • Richard Ede - The 39 Steps
    • Collabro
    • The Searchers
    • Fanny Galore
    • Paul Carrack
    • Rose Marie
    • Gary Wilmot, Noel Sullivan, Carley Stenson
    • Megan Terry
    • Sharon Rose - Little Eva in West End's Beautiful
    • Roy Chubby Brown - Britain's Rudest Comedian
    • Fascinating Aida's Dillie Keane
    • Ben Portsmouth - Elvis Tribute Artist
    • Ugly Sisters, Martin Ramsdin & David Robbins - Cinderella
    • Lauren Hall (Cinderella)
    • Michael Harrison, West End Producer
    • Brian Conley
    • Sharon Rose - X Factor
    • The Bodyguard - Zoe Birkett Interview
    • Alex Bourne (Daddy Warbucks)
    • Michael Corbidge Royal Shakespeare Company
    • Ashton Moore - Samson
    • Joe Pasquale
    • Phill Jupitus
    • Michael Sharp Playwright
    • Ray Cooney OBE
  • MUSIC
  • YOUTUBE
    • Lockdown Show Time Introducing
  • Features
    • Echoes From Essex
    • Immersive Actor Training
    • Afternoon Tea at the Cliffs Pavilion
    • N-Act Theatre Stage - Village Green
    • Chameleon Productions
    • Sheku Kanneh-Mason
    • Aladdin - Panto Cast Announcement
    • Sounds Familiar Music Quiz
    • N-Act Theatre in Schools
    • Ray Cooney comes to see Lindisfarne perform his play
    • Theatre Etiquette
    • Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society's Backstage Crew
Picture
​Southend Drama Society
presents Alan Bennett’s great British comedy
Habeas Corpus
6th - 9th December 2017
Dixon Studio at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea

I believe that Alan Bennett's 1973 comedy, Habeas Corpus, is supposed to be a satirical knock on the stock characters that typify your run of the mill farce - a randy GP, the sexually frustrated housewife, a naughty vicar and so on, all emerge from the pages of this script. 

This play’s grotesque characters should almost emerge on to the stage in some form of comedia dell'arte kind of creation, such is each of their stock types. 

Played through this theatrical genre it would be easier to appreciate the satire seeping through in all its ludicrous glory, however, Southend Drama Society seem to have taken Bennett’s prose entirely at face value and despite some valiant attempts at drawing any humour from this completely dated play, all that really comes across is a hugely sexist, vulgar and rather offensive piece of theatre.  The problem is that, ironically, there is absolutely nothing remotely amusing about this play whatsoever.  

Set in the Wicksteed’s home in Hove, the action revolves around the thwarted libidos of the principal characters, with the oversexed Dr Wicksteed lusting and leering after younger lady patients old enough to be his daughter, his frustrated wife, Muriel, their hypochondriac son and characters such as Mrs Swabb, Cannon Throbbing and Lady Rumpers - it’s all just one big saucy seaside postcard of smutty goings on. 

Of all the fabulous choices of plays for am dram groups to put on I have to wonder, whatever possessed Southend Drama Society to put on this production? God only knows - although to be fair, with the titillating picture on the advertising poster of a doctor examining a buxom young lady patient's breasts and the brief synopsis describing a show of ‘mismanaged lust, dropped trousers, and bursting libidos’, it certainly doesn't disguise what's in store once you’ve bought your ticket.  However, I can assure you that this is nowhere near your average type farce, not by any stretch of the imagination.

The cast in this production are all experienced performers and make a jolly good fist of what direction they've been given by Simon Lawler, who also takes on the role of Canon Throbbing.   I take my hat off to them for seeing this production through and they do put in some good performances, not least from Helen Mitchell as Mrs Swabb who acts as a kind of narrator of the piece in her role of the archetypal busybody cleaning lady.  Samantha Lowe also makes a good job of her character, Muriel Wicksteed.  I’m still undecided as to whether Dyanna Michelle was the only person who played her character as it was meant to be played in Bennett’s eyes or if she just decided to go completely over the top in despair in the role of Lady Rumpers.  Either way it was all rather exhausting.  

Perhaps I should’ve asked Donald Trump to review this one! I’m afraid this is one play that I can honestly say, I never want to see again.  ​

Tickets are available on www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Ask the Audience

Roger Powell, Southend on Sea

"I didn't know of the play any more than its theatre website description. I have seen many excellent amateur productions here in the past. The subject matter and situation has not stood the test of time well. I can forgive a play not being very "PC" if the situation is funny enough, so I don't really understand why Southend Drama Society chose to present this play. There were some good jokes, and the cast did their best and the play had its moments - just not really enough. The pace could have been a little quicker which would have helped."
Picture

Home

About

MUSIC

INTERVIEWS

FEATURES

Copyright © 2015