Review of “Heads and Tales”
It was a full house at the Memorial Hall for an entertaining evening courtesy of Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society. The loyal audiences have been hungry for more local theatre since before Christmas and they were not disappointed.
The first part of the evening was a collection of monologues written by the late Keith Bromley whose daughter gave PBDS permission to perform them. (Some may remember the Society’s previous show in 2013 entitled “Yorkshire Mixture” which also featured some of his work.) Ruth Dodsworth and Joyce Liggins directed the various pieces.
Ruth Dodsworth, a familiar, experienced actor, opened the show with “A Hard Woman” and from the opening words, we knew we were in safe hands. Ruth’s monologue centred on the character’s marriage with anecdotes about her husband and children. Her pain at his illness and subsequent death was made more difficult to bear because she had not been by his side and felt the guilt. Her daughter Maureen had blamed her for this but she confided that it was fear that had kept her downstairs not neglect. The character revealed how she had dealt with many aspects of married life in a practical, business-like manner which appeared at times to have been misinterpreted as being “hard” when in reality she had acted out of love. It felt as if this was a chance for confession for the character, rather than self-justification. The audience listened intently and with empathy as Ruth skilfully guided us through the reminiscences which managed to be both amusing at times as well as poignant. We completely believed in this character.
Darryl Hall
“Get Away” was performed by Darryl Hall who is no stranger to our audiences. His character told us about his flight to Majorca, (pronounced Madgorca of course) which his tipsy wife slept through. Darryl delivered his monologue in a clear, strong Yorkshire accent which had definite tones of Peter Sallis (Wallace) at times. There were laughs from the audience as he recounted the nervous passengers, seat changes and the panic that ensued from his “disingenuous” comments. Darryl did not simply handle his own ebullient character with confidence but he also acted out the voices and mannerisms of his fellow passengers with aplomb. The female nervous passenger was definitely my favourite and I could picture her very clearly. Indeed, we all landed safely, happily navigated by Darryl’s safe hands.
Joanna Wright
Joanna Wright, a newcomer to Pateley audiences, performed “He Smiled”. She had a delightfully gentle tone which drew the audience into her story. It soon became evident that some of the details sounded familiar: a death of her father at home, his love of chatter when out shopping and his optimistic, laid-back attitude to life, not to mention his hopeless card playing skills. Had we not heard of these traits already this evening? You could almost hear the clicking of brains as the audience realised that this was another aspect of “A Hard Woman”: the daughter’s perspective. Joanna brought out the love that she had for her father and also her mother which was reassuring for us, giving us some belief that their relationship would perhaps deepen and develop in the future. It was a sensitive performance and Pateley audiences will be looking out for this actor to grace the stage in the future.
Phoebe Kendall and Libby Mae Eddy
To close this part of the show, Phoebe Kendall and Libby Mae Eddy performed “Best Friends”, seated on high stools facing away from each other as they gave their individual commentaries on their relationship. The two girls had a different challenge from the previous actors as they have to deliver their personal monologues, revealing not only their own character but also passing comment on the personality/life of their best friend without eye contact yet coming together for the refrain, “Best Friends”. At times it was difficult to remember that Phoebe and Libby are part of the Society’s Junior section as they were so accomplished with a clear and confident delivery. I was particularly impressed by their physical stillness which is a true mark of a good actor. It is often difficult to avoid unnecessary hand gestures or tweaking costumes or hair when nervous on stage and these young people should be commended for their self-control. They imbued their characters with reality as insights into their home life were revealed: not all was what we had been led to expect.
The transition from one piece to another was immaculate; the various musical introductions were fitting and just the right length. Having simple seating for some of the scenes that the actors handled themselves was a real bonus to the smooth set changes. Costumes were appropriate for the characters, especially effective were the contrasting girls’ outfits which helped to define their social position and character. Monologues give the audience plenty of time to look closely at the character with the result that some costume features can become distracting on occasion. Darryl’s character wore a flat cap which was suited to the persona although the audience was denied a full appreciation of his delightful facial expressions at times as the cap shaded his eyes. I was willing him to take it off and hold it in his hands but it did not prevent me from thoroughly enjoying his performance.
Congratulations to the team behind this production and the actors especially. It is no mean feat to deliver a monologue, holding the audience’s attention throughout to guide the audience’s emotions and lead them through the narrative. This was an excellent section of the programme which provided both something to think about and entertainment at the same time.
Review by Linda Harvey
Photographs by Chris Iredale
Joyce Liggins - co-director