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Pardon Me, Prime Minister by Edward Taylor and John Graham Play June 2006
Directed by Audrey Thomas Any
puritans out there who missed the raucous event which was the Somborne
Players’ latest production in order to watch the World Cup were deprived of
another hilarious farce, “Pardon Me, Prime Minister”, written by Edward
Taylor and John Graham and admirably directed by Audrey Thomas. A
“lady in red” kept flitting in and out of doorways, not always wearing that red dress, to the shock, horror and sometimes
pleasure of David Evans, alias Prime Minister, Daddy and Moley! His nervous
disposition was supported by, and occasionally relieved by, his Private
Secretary, Alan Glynne Jones. Peter
Duncan played the ultra puritanical Scottish Chancellor desperate to rid the
country of all the fun and the PM of his job. His personality entertained the
audience to endless laughs, as did his delightfully authentic Scottish
accent. Vanessa Sharpe played his secretary, blinded by life and love for the
PPS, with the loss of her glasses eventually having farcical results. A
long lost daughter, who appears to be the Prime Minister’s and is later
revealed to be that of the Chancellor, spent most of the evening in a
petticoat; a fantastic performance played with obvious enjoyment by Catherine
Cartwright. Equally glamorous was Sue Jackson playing a Fleet Street
journalist desperate for a good story and something to replace her torn
clothes! Sue Spurling, the PM’s wife, spent most of the time oblivious to the
finer details, but confused as to why she needed to take off her dress –
though she eventually capitulated! Lesley
Evans, whose character Dora Springer had been known as Lotus Blossom in her
younger days, was the only woman to keep her clothes on. She demonstrated the
strength of women and public feeling and upon discovering the father of her
love child to be the Chancellor, eventually agreed to marry him. Finally,
when it seemed that there could be no further secrets to be revealed, a
detective played by Jo Finch revealed the identity of the PPS’s long lost
father to be none other than… the PM! As always, the production was enhanced by
the technical crew with sound by Bill Sutton, lighting by Andrew Flanagan and
special effects by Chris Hall. A very effective set, designed by Audrey Thomas,
included a superb picture of Congratulations
to all the cast and those behind the scenes for a superb night’s
entertainment, tinged with a touch of reality and pathos.
Reviewed by
Rebecca Rickard for the Gauntlet |
