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Godshill Players The Village Hall Godshill November 2002 BRISK PACE LIFTS A SO-SO COMEDY This village is fortunate to have a dramatic society that can attract a full house of 55 people. Breath of Spring was never the greatest comedy 40 years ago and it hasn't improved with age, but it has that piece of magic for many societies - one male character, Brigadier Rayne (Derek Minns), a police sergeant (Steve Russell) with half a dozen lines and a non-speaking constable (Colin Hall). There are five glorious parts for women and they are led by Bridget Marriott as Dame Beatrice with great aplomb. Her maid (Vicki Clark), considerably more than a walk-on servant, was played with a splendid cockney accent and she decorated the stage much to the pleasure of the high percentage of males in the audience. Jan Houghton-Brown had an impressive variety of accents, and Lynne Pearson was a haughty Lady Miller, but Sarah Pollard as the neurotic Hattie for me went over the top and played farce instead of comedy. She got her best laughs when she threw lines away. Most commendable of all was director Wendy Cronan's ability to instil pace into the whole production without which the play would have shown its age. Perhaps I shouldn't mention those fur coats. Christopher Eden Courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo |
