STEPPINGOUT

by

RICHARDHARRIS

TEWKESBURY ADS

31st January 1997

This play presents an enormous challenge to any amateur society and I congratulate you on the vigour, courage and dedication which made this production possible. It is exciting and refreshing when societies are brave enough to tackle difficult and different plays, branching out, extending experience, rising to difficulties, learning new skills!! Fine! It’s the doing that counts as much as anything, the rehearsal fun which you most surely had is in many ways more important than the icing on the cake!

PRESENTATION/SET
I think you were right to keep your stage as you did. I liked the girder roof (suggested in the script) and the window thrown onto the cyclorama. I felt the wing curtains were a little distracting and wonder whether or not you had thought about plain flats or even nothing?. In my experience halls of this kind often have more chairs in them - they are a constant nuisance! The Notice Board was a little small, I liked the Poster advertising the Charity Concert which appeared. The final two performance scenes were splendidly presented.

COSTUME
Some amazing and spectacular costumes for many characters! I cannot imagine how your Wardrobe Department was able to find so many fantastic and colourful leotards and accessories! Great attention to detail and to your script I notice. I realize that you were aware of contrast and comedy but I wasn’t sure about Geoffrey’s track suit or his jumper which he wore under his business suit, I fancy he might have put it on when he changed? I have to say that I found Andy’s coat/cardigan a great distraction. I know she is described as wearing a long cardigan but for me this garment was just too much! Lovely finale costumes. Congratulations Wardrobe on a most colourful and splendid array.

PROPS
Quite a formidable range to acquire and to attend. Well done. I was impressed with the way everything was presented. Again very close attention to detail and the script was evident; you even acquired the prescribed Harrods bag! Well done Props. I hope you had helpers before as well as off stage? Good slick work between scenes as necessary by back stage staff. Well done.

MAKE-UP
Everything that was necessary was there. Attention to hair was good although I wasn’t too sure about Rose’s wig but under the circumstances of the casting I can see why it was as it was, but it could perhaps have been less real? I don’t know.

LIGHTING
This was good. Well designed and executed. Very slick between scene changes and very good finale lighting for the show. Congratulations.

SOUND
I was disappointed that there was no music for the audience to hear, albeit subliminally, as they came into the theatre. I felt you missed a great opportunity to set the mood for the play. At all other times the sound was very good. Your tapes were just right and there was excellent co-ordination of sound throughout. This is a taxing and a nerve-wracking job in any show and in this one in particular it is crucial, particularly as you didn’t have a practicing pianist. Very well done indeed.

CHOREOGRAPHY
Many congratulations to your Choreographer and her acting assistant. I think the long, long rehearsal period paid off! Even knowing the show, the finale should always be a surprise and your production was no exception. How can these people ever do it! but they do! I guess the many learning and practice scenes are as difficult to orchestrate and maintain as the set routine and climax. You brought it all off, well done.

DIRECTION
In many ways this play falls into two parts, the dancing routines and the "straight acting" part. Keeping the two together cannot be an easy task. I wonder how you planned your rehearsal schedule.

Although this play is a comedy it has very sad and serious undertones. I did feel you might have encouraged your cast to investigate their individual characters in more depth. Did you have discussion and improvisation during your pre-rehearsal period? These are real people not caricatures of people and I did not always find then, all totally convincing with perhaps the exception of Lynne and Geoffrey.. The casting of Rose is quite another problem. As you paid so much attention to the details in the script. I am surprised that you cast as you did. This is not meant to be harsh as obviously I am aware of the difficulty. I noted how you made necessary adjustments to the script to accommodate the problem.

I felt at times that not enough attention or perhaps rehearsal time had been given to detail in movement; for example, individual characters warming up.checking clothing in the mirror; defined entrances from outside; grouping for chatting etc. You were right to keep your minor in the suggested place but your actors, in my opinion, needed to use itmore convincing - irrespective of audience amusement. This is extremely difficult to do I know. Some important discussions between characters often happened back stage which I felt was a pity. Grouping was often uninteresting, itneeded more shape to help the contrast with the dancing lines. The pace was a little slow particularly in the opening scenes. In a large theatre a great deal of projection is necessary, at tines it was very difficult to hear many of your cast. Another small but important point - watches should not beworn for finale performance!!

Clearly a great deal of work has gone into this production and I salute you on a very good shot. You gave great pleasure to your audience which is certainly a measure of your success. Well done.

ACTING

Lynne
I found this character very sympathetic. The role was well sustained and developed. I believed in this person, she grew with the play as it were. I felt this actor had really come to terms with her role and knew who she was and why she was in the class. Her growing confidence was carefully handled and her distress over the old lady’s death was moving and well controlled. A good performance. Well done.

Dorothy
An energetic and sound performance. I was not quite sure that she thoroughly understood her character. She was fussy enough but not really nervous enough! Perhaps my understanding of the character was different? I see her as a sadder more oppressed person whose personal life is very different from most of the other women of her age in the class. Congratulations on the dancing.!

Mavis
A very good attempt at this challenging role. Again, I felt that this character had not been explored totally. This person is not just a dancing teacher scratching a living having missed out on the professional scene. She has problems in addition! I admired her teaching, her own dancing and movement, all this was extremely well done; she displayed the right amount of authority coupled with sympathy and patience. I was not as convinced with the delivery of the spoken input. There are opportunities given in the play for a more in-depth interpretation of this character and I felt that these could have been felt more. Perhaps discussion and improvisation in the rehearsal period would have helped here.

Not an easy part to undertake and I praise the attempt.

Mrs Fraser
A wonderful character role to play and I imagine fun to do. The underpinning of the long term relationship with Mavis could have been more subtly introduced I think. It was a pity that we could not see more of Mrs. Fraser, because she had splendid facial expressions and she munched her way through the rehearsals very well. I know the piano had to be positioned as it was as this actor was not actually playing (N.B. great care needed constantly for accurate synchronization!). Splendid and controlled carriage as she moved on and off. A great appearance in the Finale sequence! Well done.

Maxine
A good colourful character. She handled all her properties well and was convincing in her particular role. This character too, is quite different from the other women and I think she came very near to the ‘correct’ interpretation. Well done.

Andy
I have to say that I was not in sympathy with the way this actor conceived her character. I can understand in some ways why she behaved in the way she did but really felt that she went too far. She was not helped by the garment she wore throughout. I think a too literal translation of the script. I did not think she had got under the skin of the character at all. There was very little interplay with other characters particularly with Geoffrey. I found her interpretation lacked depth and I’m afraid she irritated me and I could see why she was a battered wife! I’m sorry about this, it is a personal reaction only for the audience responded well to her and that’s what counts after all. Very good dancing particularly during rehearsals.

Geoffrey
A really good consistently maintained performance. I felt that this actor really understood who he was meant to be. He never slipped out of character, his actions, especially hand movements, were splendid and he was completely believable. His dancing was very well executed and his ability to be still as required very good. I did feel though that the relationship with Andy, if indeed there was one? could have been established a little more. His outburst with Maxine was well done and conveyed well his months of irritation/anger etc. Full marks for retrieving the lost boater even though it meant leaping through the mirror!! I enjoyed this performance enormously. Congratulations.

Vera
Another lovely yet challenging part to play. This character should not be a caricature however, for as the play unfolds her true situation is revealed. Her most moving revelation concerning her background and present situation must be taken into account as the character is investigated in rehearsal Of course she is meant to be amusing and irritating but she is really such a sad and lonely woman and frightened too, of her husband, of the implied relationship he has with her daughter and so on.. I suspect it is very hard to avoid the interpretation that Julie Walters produced? Generally movements around the stage and handling of properties were very well done (a pity the sugar in Geoffrey’s coffee was missed) and gave great amusement to the audience. A good and brave attempt.

Sylvia
A very lively and energetic performance. This actor gave her all and in many ways was instrumental in keeping the whole action moving at a reasonable pace. Her gum chewing was well done and convincing. I did feel however this was too much of a caricature of a person being played just for comedy. I know that it is very difficult to get the right balance but it must be remembered that the characters are proper people. Very successful dancing. Brave attempt.

Rose
This actor did her best to be convincing in a role created for an Afro-Caribbean or at second best an Asian. As the play requires the character to have the associated characteristics etc it is very difficult to make the required input as a white Caucasian even though an American! I think a good attempt was made, but inevitably a great deal was lost because of the casting.

Woman/Fairy
Tiny parts but well done - helped continuity

Voices
Good and strong with the right type of accent. Characters behind them well indicated.

Your production was enjoyed enormously by your audience and you gave a great deal ofpleasure and amusement I praise your achievement in staging this show. I was interested in the way you brought your actors out into the audience during the interval and through the Foyer before the show began.

Thank you very much for your hospitality. I wish you well for your next exciting production in Tewkesbury Abbey.

Margaret Gelberg
GDA Adjudicator