July 2011 Production

Harmonies and Holidays - Review

From the Croydon Advertiser - July, 2011

Review by Diana Eccleston

Summer fun was what this evening was all about: two frothy one-act comedies with a fish and chip supper during the interval.

Member Christine Woodhead has already made her mark as a playwright and her The Next Big Thing was an enjoyable bit of nonsense which featured women preparing for their singing slot in a village hall variety show.

Ali Morris was the would-be diva Dawn, all drama and tantrums, while Nicola Newman was her more understated sister Fran.

Harpreet Chana (on the telephone to her unfaithful husband) was the other half of a bizarre conversation with Fran, in which the latter thinks she is being communicated with by "the other side" via a crystal ball.

And Carolyn Screech had a little bit of Victoria Wood about her as soppy Maureen, the show organiser who ends up as one of the group.

Lots of amusing moments here, though I would have liked to see the quartet give us one big number as a finale!

Trip of a Lifetime was a rather aimless piece about a couple on a round-the-world tour with their extremely boring recently divorced son.

They did manage to convey a flavour of each location (the camel riding was good) without set or props and I enjoyed the comedy exchanges between John Tough and the always-hilarious Ellie Driscoll as dad and mum.