REVIEW
Lindisfarne Productions
Present
Neil Simon’s
London Suite
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea-
Dixon Studio
13 May 2026 – 16 May 2026
7.45pm ( Mat. Saturday 2.30pm)
PLUS
CURTAIN CALL with Rob Moore
Lindisfarne Productions
Present
Neil Simon’s
London Suite
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea-
Dixon Studio
13 May 2026 – 16 May 2026
7.45pm ( Mat. Saturday 2.30pm)
PLUS
CURTAIN CALL with Rob Moore
Last night saw the opening of Lindisfarne Production’s London Suite in the Dixon Studio within the Palace Theatre in Westcliff-on-Sea. I was looking forward to this as it was the third amateur production I have had the pleasure of attending in the last year and like the previous two, it did not disappoint.
The lights went up on a rather ‘not what I expected’ first act which we soon realised was to be a two-hander throughout. I did initially wonder if this would continue for the next couple of hours as silly me did not realise it was four different stories set in the suite of a London hotel. A funny, sometimes wistful, foursome you might say. I make it a rule never to read the programme beforehand, nor do I make any particular effort to find out more than I might already know, which in this instance was absolutely nothing. The picture on the cover was of Big Ben seen through a window and I had wrongly assumed this would be some sort of political satire, strange how the brain makes its own connections.
Another of my self-imposed rules is not to give too much away to the reader so as not to spoil their pleasure should they decide to see the play or show I am writing about.
But suffice to say each of the four acts brought forth a totally different story which played out in a very professional manner. I have had much delight in watching these amateur productions as it is often difficult to distinguish their abilities from those who act for a living. The props and settings may lack those of the ‘big’ professional productions but it is easy to forget the small details when engrossed in the superb acting of the cast.
The first act involved a gun and although there were many witty asides it could not be called comedic. The second was a rather bitter sweet story between a mother and daughter, both American, freshly arrived in London for a shopping trip largely for shoes.
After the second act and a fifteen minute interval, the third act introduced us to Grace and Sidney ex-spouses meeting again after several years. This story revealed how life had treated them both since their divorce and had a rather sad twist at its end.
The final fourth act gave us the most laughs of the evening with what can only be described as farce. This one had the most actors on stage at one time and I will say only that one person had a bad back. Kevin Costner even got a mention.
For me, what started a tiny bit slowly soon came into its own with sterling performances from every cast member. Obviously those in lead roles often get the most plaudits but all were deserving of praise. However, I must single out Rob Moore, who appeared in three of the four acts and became a believablydifferent person in each one: A gunman, a gay divorcee and a bellboy. How on earth these actors remember their lines is a wonder, especially when playing multiple parts. Tracey Ferriello as Grace in the second act also deserves a mention as she delivered a very funny recounting of her evening out to her daughter, demonstrated with perfect timing and facial expressions.
This for me, and my guest agreed, was another thumbs up for amateur productions and I would encourage anyone who has not yet had the pleasure to go along and enjoy. Congratulations to all involved.
Lynn Carroll
The lights went up on a rather ‘not what I expected’ first act which we soon realised was to be a two-hander throughout. I did initially wonder if this would continue for the next couple of hours as silly me did not realise it was four different stories set in the suite of a London hotel. A funny, sometimes wistful, foursome you might say. I make it a rule never to read the programme beforehand, nor do I make any particular effort to find out more than I might already know, which in this instance was absolutely nothing. The picture on the cover was of Big Ben seen through a window and I had wrongly assumed this would be some sort of political satire, strange how the brain makes its own connections.
Another of my self-imposed rules is not to give too much away to the reader so as not to spoil their pleasure should they decide to see the play or show I am writing about.
But suffice to say each of the four acts brought forth a totally different story which played out in a very professional manner. I have had much delight in watching these amateur productions as it is often difficult to distinguish their abilities from those who act for a living. The props and settings may lack those of the ‘big’ professional productions but it is easy to forget the small details when engrossed in the superb acting of the cast.
The first act involved a gun and although there were many witty asides it could not be called comedic. The second was a rather bitter sweet story between a mother and daughter, both American, freshly arrived in London for a shopping trip largely for shoes.
After the second act and a fifteen minute interval, the third act introduced us to Grace and Sidney ex-spouses meeting again after several years. This story revealed how life had treated them both since their divorce and had a rather sad twist at its end.
The final fourth act gave us the most laughs of the evening with what can only be described as farce. This one had the most actors on stage at one time and I will say only that one person had a bad back. Kevin Costner even got a mention.
For me, what started a tiny bit slowly soon came into its own with sterling performances from every cast member. Obviously those in lead roles often get the most plaudits but all were deserving of praise. However, I must single out Rob Moore, who appeared in three of the four acts and became a believablydifferent person in each one: A gunman, a gay divorcee and a bellboy. How on earth these actors remember their lines is a wonder, especially when playing multiple parts. Tracey Ferriello as Grace in the second act also deserves a mention as she delivered a very funny recounting of her evening out to her daughter, demonstrated with perfect timing and facial expressions.
This for me, and my guest agreed, was another thumbs up for amateur productions and I would encourage anyone who has not yet had the pleasure to go along and enjoy. Congratulations to all involved.
Lynn Carroll
London Suite is a comedy by one of America’s greatest playwrights, Neil Simon, consisting of four one-act plays, Settling Accounts, Going Home, Diana and Sidney, and The Man on the Floor. A lot of hilarity follows when various characters check in to an upmarket London hotel. There is an inebriated Welsh writer holding his manager at gunpoint. An American widow, and daughter on a shopping expedition. A famous actress who is waiting to meet up with her gay ex husband whom she still loves. Then the evening rounds off with great hilarity as a married couple from New York who’ve lost their tickets to Wimbledon are about to lose their suite to Kevin Costner.
Lindisfarne Productions brings together typical Simon sharp, witty dialogue and elegant staging to the Dixon Studio.
The plays sparkle with wit and heart. There are romantic misunderstandings, bittersweet reflections on love, ageing and ambition. They blend laugh-out loud comedy with touching poignancy.
As one of America’s most celebrated playwrights, Neil Simon is renowned for his razor-sharp comedy and deeply human characters, making London Suite a joyful showcase of his theatrical genius.
This production is a smart, stylish evening for comedy lovers.
An Amateur Production
Tickets £17.50 Conc: £16.50
Box Office: 0343 310 0030
Lindisfarne Productions brings together typical Simon sharp, witty dialogue and elegant staging to the Dixon Studio.
The plays sparkle with wit and heart. There are romantic misunderstandings, bittersweet reflections on love, ageing and ambition. They blend laugh-out loud comedy with touching poignancy.
As one of America’s most celebrated playwrights, Neil Simon is renowned for his razor-sharp comedy and deeply human characters, making London Suite a joyful showcase of his theatrical genius.
This production is a smart, stylish evening for comedy lovers.
An Amateur Production
Tickets £17.50 Conc: £16.50
Box Office: 0343 310 0030
The cast in rehearsal - Carol Hayes and Steve McCartney
CURTAIN CALL with Rob Moore who plays Brian in the production
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When did you start to take an interest in theatre? Did you take part in any productions at school?
The first part I remember being on stage for was at the King John School, aged about 14; Hank was a caricature of an American tourist. I did a few shows as part of the "Badminton Players" at Highlands Church in my teens and took the hobby with me to University and beyond. Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama? On my mother's side, there is a family history of various performers including drama, singing and poetry. My daughter caught the bug too. Have you done any sort of formal training for acting/singing/dancing? No. Part of the enjoyment I get from watching professional performances is looking past the character to understand the actor on stage; and deconstructing their techniques. This helps me perform. Do you have any specialist skills – anything from stilt walking to dress-making – which you work into your repertoire? I have an interest in production; particularly lighting and sound. I do a free annual mini show for Halloween trick-or-treaters using these skills and technologies. I also seem to be able to do accents. This one is Welsh. Have you any tricks for remembering your lines, or other useful tips to pass on to others involved in drama? I need to get an emotional connection to the script as I learn it and understand the story I am telling so my brain can naturally relay it. I think I have a partially visual memory; not quite reading it in my mind but knowing and sensing where on the page or paragraph I am. When the topic changes, I make associations between the final words of one paragraph and the next topic to help me remember the next bit. |
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your am dram career to date? What is the favourite part you have played over the years.
I don't have one role or favourite to shout about but I like to have one part of every role as something to challenge myself and remember. For example, when I was Puck I focused on the athleticism, when I was in Fuente Ovejuna it was improvisation, when in Brimstone and Treacle it was breaking the 4th wall with sinister glances.
What has been your most embarrassing moment involving drama, on or off stage?
In Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking at University I delivered a wrong line which jumped us from act 1 to act 3. When the director realised, they brought the house lights down, gave an audience apology and sent us back to where we went wrong. Within minutes of restarting, a piece of the scenery slowly started to fall down. Myself and the other actor on stage paused and allowed this to happen and the comedy of it earned a round of applause. The audience were back on our side and the rest of the show was a great success.
How do you earn your living?
I work in the management of IT services at Southend City Council; fixing and preventing serious outages, managing change and the workflow and automation of our service desk system.
Following on from the previous question, has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage activities?
There have been times in my career when the confidence that comes from performing has helped me in teamwork or presentations. Computers rely on a huge number of detailed and complicated things happening one after the other to achieve an outcome. Putting on a show is similar; it's important to help everyone learn and refine these thousands of pieces in a way that they feel they can repeatedly achieve a performance, and the enjoyment it gives.
I don't have one role or favourite to shout about but I like to have one part of every role as something to challenge myself and remember. For example, when I was Puck I focused on the athleticism, when I was in Fuente Ovejuna it was improvisation, when in Brimstone and Treacle it was breaking the 4th wall with sinister glances.
What has been your most embarrassing moment involving drama, on or off stage?
In Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking at University I delivered a wrong line which jumped us from act 1 to act 3. When the director realised, they brought the house lights down, gave an audience apology and sent us back to where we went wrong. Within minutes of restarting, a piece of the scenery slowly started to fall down. Myself and the other actor on stage paused and allowed this to happen and the comedy of it earned a round of applause. The audience were back on our side and the rest of the show was a great success.
How do you earn your living?
I work in the management of IT services at Southend City Council; fixing and preventing serious outages, managing change and the workflow and automation of our service desk system.
Following on from the previous question, has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage activities?
There have been times in my career when the confidence that comes from performing has helped me in teamwork or presentations. Computers rely on a huge number of detailed and complicated things happening one after the other to achieve an outcome. Putting on a show is similar; it's important to help everyone learn and refine these thousands of pieces in a way that they feel they can repeatedly achieve a performance, and the enjoyment it gives.
Rob in rehearsal with other members of the cast
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
I'm the only one of my close friendship group that does anything theatrical.
Which actor do you most admire and why?
I enjoy watching Christopher Walken, particularly. Christian Bale also rates for me.
What role would you most like to play and why?
Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror...
Tell us a bit about the play "London Suite” and the part you play.
"Settling Accounts" is the first of four short plays in London Suite. My character, Brian, an author who has enjoyed success in the order of JK Rowling, has been conned out of his money by his accountant, Bill. Swinging his way through anger, flippancy, aggression, sarcasm, despair and humour, Brian tries to find a way to get his money back. It's fun chugging whiskey, waving a gun about and stabbing someone with a fruit fork; and it should be fun to watch.
Any plans for the future, after "London Suite?”
The October Halloween show and who knows what in 2027!
I'm the only one of my close friendship group that does anything theatrical.
Which actor do you most admire and why?
I enjoy watching Christopher Walken, particularly. Christian Bale also rates for me.
What role would you most like to play and why?
Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror...
Tell us a bit about the play "London Suite” and the part you play.
"Settling Accounts" is the first of four short plays in London Suite. My character, Brian, an author who has enjoyed success in the order of JK Rowling, has been conned out of his money by his accountant, Bill. Swinging his way through anger, flippancy, aggression, sarcasm, despair and humour, Brian tries to find a way to get his money back. It's fun chugging whiskey, waving a gun about and stabbing someone with a fruit fork; and it should be fun to watch.
Any plans for the future, after "London Suite?”
The October Halloween show and who knows what in 2027!
Members of the cast brushing up their skills