WHILE we may not have actually been at the races, All and Sundry’s delightful, complex and heartwarming production of ‘Ladies Day’ certainly left me gripped until the final furlong.
When Pearl (Ruth Cattell) decides to leave her job at a Hull fish factory, she takes her three work colleagues to her ‘dream’ Ladies Day out at Royal Ascot.
While the foursome try to enjoy their big day, their long withheld insecurities, regrets and dreams rapidly unfold and they begin to realise their friendship is more valuable than the £500,000 they have a shot at winning on the horses.
Cattell delivers a beautifully sensitive portrayal of Pearl as a hopeless romantic who hides her heartbreak through a well developed mask of contentment.
Her closest friend Jan (Joy Williamson) acts as a perfect contrast to Pearl as someone who wilfully accepts unhappiness in the name of her values, loyalty and morals.
Williamson gives an assured display as the proud and classy character, almost forcing the audience into rooting for her happiness.
Kelly Wade is simply spellbinding as Shelley, a woman who, despite showing the biggest bravado, is the most insecure and broken of all the ladies.
A scene where Shelley tries to flirt her way to fame quickly turns from hilarious to harrowing and showcases Wade’s full acting range.
Beth Morrissey brings an effortless likeability to Linda, who we soon learn has had her kind nature and naivety exploited by those closest to her.
Linda also got some of the biggest laughs of the night, although this can largely be attributed to Morrissey’s great knack for line delivery and stage presence- her innocent and care-free facial expressions to huge revelations tickled my funny bone the most.
A particularly genius scene where the ladies give a running commentary on the Royal procession at Ascot gives a compelling insight into their differing values and perspectives.
This play also isn’t afraid to dedicate entire scenes to letting us get to know the characters through their mundane yet highly entertaining conversations, and this is helped in no small part by the excellent chemistry between the four leads.
An early chin wag at the fish factory gave me satisfying flashbacks to Victoria Wood’s classic sitcom ‘Dinnerladies’, from the northern accents and uniform right down to the sharp witted humour and impeccable comedic timing.
Hannah Grindy eats up every second of limited stage time as compassionate horse jockey Pat, who plays a crucial role in Linda’s marvellous evolution.
And awe induced congratulations are in order for Dan Blizzard and Roger Goddard, who both seamlessly transition between multiple roles throughout the play.
Blizzard flexes his acting muscles as kind fish factory worker Joe before switching to a far more awkward and seedy persona in Jim the Ascot announcer.
Goddard meanwhile only has a single scene each portraying the downtrodden gambler, the shady ticket tout and Barry, a key figure from Pearl’s past.
While he performs admirably in all three roles, his sensitive, heartfelt and measured showing as Barry was so poignant and heart wrenching it left me on the verge of tears.
If you want your own memorable ladies or gents day out, this trip to the Norbury Theatre is definitely a safe bet- odds on you’ll love it.
Ladies Day will be at the theatre at 7.30pm every night until Saturday.
Tickets, at £12 each, are available at www.norburytheatre.co.uk
