Bishopstoke Players 
Durley Memorial Hall, Durley 
Anne Waggott
15 May 2025
Almost 3 years ago to the night, I had the pleasure of reviewing Bishopstoke Players’ collection of short plays, Ones, fresh from their successful, award winning trio of Drama Festival appearances, as they celebrated their 75th year.
Forward to the present day and Ones Again, another impressive collection of short plays which continue to showcase the depth of talent amongst the Bishopstoke Players, reinforcing their dedication to nurturing young talent alongside more experienced Players.
The evening opens with Albert, Richard Harris’ one act short comedy, set in 1970s England, about the confusions and misadventures between a self-important, well-intentioned Englishman, a Finnish au pair and a visiting Italian. What could possibly go wrong when language barriers exist?!
Between the characters, quite a lot! However, no such disasters with the performances – or the direction from one of Bishopstoke Players’ younger members, Beth Bowers, who once again shows a real aptitude for direction, supported by proficient and pacy performances from Pete Burton (Albert), Vicky Bonner (Karin from “Fin-land”) and Adriano Sapelli (Nico, the Italian brother of Karin’s employer). Although the accents may not be very politically correct, they are very funny indeed and lend themselves to the witty script, enhancing the excellent verbal and visual comic timing, physicality and mimes from the cast.
It’s a tough act to follow – and yet the original drama, A Figure of Insignificance (written and directed by another of Bishopstoke Players’ youth members, E Millins), does so with style, all the more impressive due to the dark, intriguing psychology within the script, and the fact that, as well as being the playwright, this is Millins’ directorial debut.
Maddison (Beth Bowers, stepping away from her directorial role in Albert) and her best friend, Roni (the consistently charismatic Lola Barrett) are both struggling with college exams, embracing different approaches when dealing with their challenges. The dynamics between Figure (Kevin Bowers) and Madison’s family and Roni are thoughtfully written and acted, with twists and turns that show depth from such a young writer. As the drama takes the negative thoughts in people’s heads and puts them into words, it’s fascinating to see the narrative play out, with each of the actors committed to their characters and delivering in style.
The evening concludes with another original short play, the award winning and nominated Lying In State, this time written and directed by the more experienced Adrian Barrett. The last King of Twatt, an island in the Western Approaches of the English Channel, has recently ‘died’ and wants to enjoy resting in peace… but no chance of that, thanks to a cast of hilarious characters, each with their own motivations for wanting to hurry in the end of the island’s monarchy!
This was a genuinely laugh-out-loud salacious comedy, expertly performed by Bishopstoke Players stalwarts Tim Ponsford (King), Colin Carter (Dave) and Kimberley Jones (with an impressive array of quick costume changes, accents and distinct characters as everybody else!). Recently awarded ‘Best Original Script’ at Totton Festival of Drama, all three actors were likewise nominated for best acting/supporting actor awards, and it’s easy to see why! With slick pace and vibrant performances, they successfully add the rollicking fun into a State Funeral!
With quick complete scene changes in the two short intervals, excellent sound effects and deceptively simple lighting in the village hall enhancing each one act play, Bishopstoke Players prove they are very worthy winners of their continued recent awards, with Ones Again deserving to be seen by much larger audiences than the one present on opening night. As ever, Bishopstoke Players continue to support the charity Action for Children (helping disadvantaged children across the UK) – another reason to get yourselves to Durley Memorial Hall!
Run continues until Saturday 17 May at 7:30pm each evening, with tickets available via phone (07871 006551), email here or online here. I would encourage you to get your tickets for an evening of diverse, thoughtful and comedic entertainment!
