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The Marvellous
Mrs Billett (played by
Shirley King)
| Previous Shows - Sand Castles (Page 1 of 4) |
Sand Castles by Bob Larbey "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!" was a fitting start to this seaside comedy written by Bob Larbey. The audience clapped as the curtain opened to reveal a spectacular set constructed under the watchful eye of Construction Manager, Robert Van Goethem. Three beach huts along with walk way, set the scene magnificently for what lay ahead. The characterisations were superb throughout. “Posh Toffs,” William and Margaret Patterson, played by Wayne Jarvis and Pauline Jordan, contrast the “loud” couple from Worcester Park, Stan and Bernice Billet (Rob Ward and Liane Welch). They have all been coming to the same resort for years and just got around to calling each other by their first names. This year, Doug (David Smith) and his nubile nieces, Debs (Aimee Pickett) and Becky (Lesley Shadbolt), who are renting a beach hut, join them, causing consternation. However, for Pauline, (Alison Levesley) who is getting over a broken romance, this holiday could be the best thing for her. The set has all the paraphernalia one would find on a typical English beach holiday: the folding chairs, the table, picnic basket – oh and don’t forget the “sparkling white wine” and the newspaper to idle by the time, soaking up the sunshine. That is, until the beach hut owners are flung into turmoil as holidaymakers come to realise that the beach hut owner’s self-imposed perimeter is not legal, leading to a hilarious showdown. Interspersed between the main action, was the excellent performances of the “Beach Promenaders,” (Lorraine Van Goethem, Barbara Holgate-Stuckey & Sue George) who created very effective drama sequences portraying the varied activities one can observe on a typical beach. There was the beachcomber (Peter Scott) who roamed the sand with his metal detector, not to mention the children wanting to stay on the stage to finish his sandcastle. There were the teenagers (Graham Pickett and Becca Pugh) who were trying to fly their kite and sulking as teenagers do when one of them didn’t get it right, and who disturbed the peace of the beach hut owners on more than one occasion! Mother Billet was a treat, played by Shirley King … a wonderful concoction of a senior citizen plagued by the frailty of age and the annoyance of being treated like a child by her offspring. Her acid tongue, together with her increasing deafness punctuated the play with marvellous one-liners. This gentle comedy appealed to all, and we all readily identified with the characters and had a good laugh at their predicament. Well done Knebworth Players! For the cast list, please follow the link below: |