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STRICTLY FOR THE BIRDS
Broadstone Players
War Memorial Hall
Broadstone
November 2005

IF a prize were to be awarded to the first person to guess ‘whodunnit’ in any thriller, it is unlikely that I would ever be the winner as I almost never guess correctly. In the case of this play I would be amazed if anyone qualified for the prize, as the plot has more twists than a pig’s tail and almost none of the characters are what they seem.
Successful businessman Bernard (Greig Blanden) and his wife Linda (Joanne Guess), jewellery salesman Booth (Gary Paine), hat shop owner Hannah (Betty Jo Milller), medium Miss Pyke (Val Mantle) and Inspector Irving (John Pemble) mostly seem to be fairly ordinary. But throw in several hidden secrets, a few deadly sins and the local council’s propensity for digging holes in the road and you have all the ingredients for a cracking evening.
Lyn Richell’s direction has all the pace necessary to keep both actors and audience on their toes, and there are good realistic performances all round. Most of those on stage are required to show two sides of their character’s personality, and achieve their aim with impressive results.
Forget those birds – this one is strictly for anyone who likes a good story well told.

Linda Kirkman
Courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo


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