Cheriton Players 
Cheriton Village Hall, Cheriton 
Anne Waggott 
27 November 2024
What an enjoyable and genuinely laugh-out-loud evening of comedy from Cheriton Players! Not only that – we were treated to the world premiere of a brand new play, written by a brand new playwright… who is no stranger to the Cheriton Village Hall stage.
In Grave Concerns, Mark and his family are on holiday in a hired villa, overlooking the shores of Lake Como, Italy, celebrating his father’s 80th birthday. However, when Mark trips and bangs his head, he meets an ethereal Spirit who has been charged with escorting his father to the next life beyond. Bargaining to protect his father from his imminent demise, the Spirit challenges Mark to find a substitute soul for her to take instead – with a warning that the clock is ticking…
Inspired by the location of his Italian honeymoon, Cheriton Players’ own Craig Robb has written and directed a highly entertaining comedy on a topic that would appear to be no laughing matter: how to persuade a Spirit intent on claiming the soul on her list to choose another. Although arguably an unlikely source of warm comic entertainment, the opening night of this new play – with Groundhog Day and Ghosts vibes – richly deserved the very sincere and enthusiastic reception it received. It’s understandable there were a few slightly hesitant moments and prompts on the opening night of this new production, particularly when fresh characters are brought to life for the first time, but this in no way detracted from the otherwise overall cracking pace.
Robb gives tribute to the cast in his programme notes: “I can now see why the original cast are always credited in scripts… the whole cast has been involved in shaping the script and informing the direction.” It seems churlish to single out any of the cast over the others when they all gelled together so splendidly, so I will likewise give full credit to them all for their brilliant performances in Grave Concerns’ premiere: real-life married couple, Glynn and Sally Williams (Mark and his wife, Deborah); John Weston (Mark’s father, Geoff); Denise Truscott (Mark’s sister, Ruth); Tim Conway (Ruth’s partner, Ted); Isobel Wolf (Spirit); and Jan Conway (Taxi Driver).
By contrast to Grave Concerns’ debut, Last Tango In Grimley clocked up over 1,000 performances in just three years, so the cast of this short yet hilarious play apparently had an advantage in recreating established characters, and yet the quartet succeeded in presenting them as fresh personalities as much as their newer counterparts in Grave Concerns.
Little Grimley Amateur Dramatic Society are struggling… with a membership that has dwindled to four, audiences that barely reach double figures, and a profit-loss margin to make even the staunchest optimist weep, it’s time for dramatic action… and creative marketing! Sex sells… but how will the locals react to the promise of a sizzling sex comedy?
Pauline Cornter’s direction ensured another hilarious, fast-paced comedy, this time about a declining local am-dram society on its last legs. This is also an ensemble piece, with each of the four characters being heightened versions of those individuals recognised by every amateur dramatic group in some shape or form, and performed by a quartet of actors who know how to bring those hapless luvvies to life with proficiency, panache and praiseworthiness: Paul Willcox (confident Chairman, Gordon), Mike Cornter (set builder and reluctant thespian, Bernard), Jane Richards (musical-loving Secretary, Joyce) and Katie Hinds (drama teaching diva, Margaret) – take a bow and accept your plaudits; comic timing, characterisations, accents and physicality were all spot on!
With the tone set by the comical preshow announcements, the warm welcome by the FOH team and general camaraderie, effective staging and production elements, and performances of this caliber, those lucky enough to have a ticket for this sold out production are in for a veritable community treat. Little Grimley Amateur Dramatic Society may be in trouble… but Cheriton Players continue to go from strength to strength and I would highly recommend early bookings for their future productions!
