HAVING a great script when putting on a play is half the battle – having a fantastic cast to bring it to life is the other half.
And, when The Nonentities staged Willy Russell’s One For the Road, they had just that.
This four-hander took us back to Margaret Thatcher’s aspirational 1980s. It was a time when people were encouraged to get on the housing ladder and have all those mod con electrical appliances, a nice car, holidays in Spain and try food and experiences from different countries and cultures.
You questioned when watching (and probably did when living through the decade) whether people were doing these things because they enjoyed it or whether it was to ‘keep up with the Jonesys’.
Picture by Colin Hill. s
All four characters brought something different.
Shelly Blackmore was wonderful as Pauline who was proud of making it to her nice ‘phase two’ estate, tentatively trying to cook foreign cuisine whilst trying to keep her husband in line and stop him turning everything into a joke. You felt for her character and her anguish.
Somewhat snobby Jane was beautifully portrayed by Hannah Danby – think Margot in the Good Life but coupled with a ‘wannabe sexologisr’. She took the aspirations to a new level with her artworks and foreign trips.
She was backed up by her husband Roger. Stefan Austin made this equally as ‘self-proclaimed well-to-do’ character his own. A combination of mateyness, arrogance and (as we later find out), a ‘not-so-secret’ side was brought together beautifully.
Stuck in the middle in a mid-life crisis on the eve of his 35th birthday, was Dennis. Chris Kay was a joy to watch. As well as plenty of laughs, he also conveyed his character’s frustrations excellently. You empathised with him and his ‘aspirations’ throughout from the very first scene.
The characters were all very relatable – we all know or have met someone like each of them.
Like the ingredients in the meal at a 1980s middle class dinner party, each contributed to this very funny show.
Picture by Colin Hill. s
Whilst comedy was the main aim of this production, there was also an abundance of social comment, moral questions and philosophical observations about growing older.
The set was a masterstroke – a suburban front room with a dining table, along with a door and serving hatch to the kitchen (everyone wanted a serving hatch in the 80s).
It was homely but also, at the same time claustrophobic – especially for Dennis.
‘Surely there is something more out there than a dormer bungalow, wheels and foreign holidays after a wasted youth?’
At the end, we had all watched this fabulous show with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and some thought-provoking ones too.
I assume everyone went straight home afterwards. But maybe, just maybe, some of those watching are out there somewhere – on a road trip or hitch-hiking.
Shows are at 7.30pm each evening – visit: rosetheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01562 743745 from 10.30am to 12.30pm Monday and Friday for tickets and more information.
