ACT in Action Issue 17

and father of the groom, Stephen Dixon brings just the right blend of bluster, inherent strength of character, and ingenuousness to the part. His difference in attitude to each of his sons, marks his status within his own household. His continual confrontations with his older son, Arthur, is tinged with the hint of a need to reach out to him and show the love that he really feels. The exchanges with his long-suffering wife, Lucy, provide delightful moments of domestic comedy, maybe a little familiar with many in the audience. In Lucy Fitton, the groom’s Mother, Naughton crafted a character of real strength and worldly wisdom. Susan Mullen, using her not insignificant talent and perception fleshes out the role of the indomitable matriarch of the family. She lets us sense that there is something deeper than the usual mother/son relationship towards Arthur. There is a need to protect the lad, to ensure that he doesn’t become the man his father would wish him to be. The mother of the bride, Liz Piper, is a woman with a hint of disappointment at what the world has handed her. Although caring and concerned for her daughter, she has come to resent, with some jealousy, the strong father/daughter bond between her husband Leslie and daughter Violet. Lynne Cummings captured all these feelings and exploited them, much to our delight. Whenever I have seen Lynne play, she always brings life and believability to every role. It must be said of both Lynne and Susan that, I am sure, they brought something of their own mothers to the stage. Leslie Piper, the bride’s father has shown deference to his wife throughout their marriage, although his real love is given to his beloved daughter, Violet. He is aware that Liz, his wife, has tried to weaken the bond, and in a moment of truth, he reproaches her. Being the gentle man he is, however, he accepts her tearful admission. For me, David Pilkington, playing Leslie, is a director’s dream. Give him the part, tell him what you need from it, and, boy, will he deliver. In this role he gives us the undying love for his Violet. His remembrance of his Violet’s beautiful plaits being shorn off to be replaced by a frizzy perm, all at Liz’s instigation, was a moment of sheer poignancy, of which there are many in this play. ‘The Kitchen Sink’ by Tom Wells is a recent (2011) adaptation of a traditional 1950s family ‘kitchen sink’ drama. With acerbic moments of laugh-out-loud comedy set around a family’s ‘dreams, dramas and dirty dishes,’ Droylsden Little Theatre presented an excellent look into the trials, tribulations and miscommunications of a typical millennial family. Set in the fictional coastal town of Withernsea, Yorkshire, we are given various vignettes of a family’s life over a twelve-month period. As the kitchen tap breaks down, so do various elements of the family’s life: Martin’s milk-float, his customer base, Sophie’s ju-jitsu dreams and Billy’s aspirations of art-school. Held together by dinner-lady mum Kath, ‘The Kitchen Sink’ is a gentle comedy, and whilst containing no earth-shattering dramatics, is a rosy portrayal of a typical family as we peer in through their window at various stages of the year. The first thing which struck the audience about this production was the impressive and realistic set. A true ‘kitchen sink’ drama in every sense of the words calls for a true ‘kitchen sink,’ and what we were presented with, designed by Tony Birch, was a realistic, and importantly, working kitchen and family dining room. With plenty of playing space to work with, the set really was a superb effort and lovely space for the family to ‘live’ in. As well as imposing and impressive, importantly the set looked authentically ‘lived in’ and not like a show-home as some sets often do. Believable attention to details, such as grime on the tiles, marks on the door and door handles at odds with each other did not go unnoticed and THE KITCHEN SINK by Tom Wells Directed by Mandy Mallinson Droylsden Little Theatre

Now we come to the central characters in this play, Arthur and his lovely bride, Violet, played by Matthew Dickinson and Ellie Humberstone. You cannot tell that, between them, these young actors have only played only as much straight drama as you can count on one hand. Matt lets us see the frustrations and anguish that torments him for most of the play. Criticized by an over-bearing father, trapped in a job as a cinema projec-tionist, for a man he despises and unable to produce the ultimate seal on his love for Violet. He was driven to distraction and violence. A characterisation portrayed with profound feeling. And as a perfect foil, the pure and innocent Violet, a product of the not-so-permissive society has been brought up to respect the chastity of a new bride. Violet has kept Arthur’s advances at bay until the wedding night, or in her words, “We wouldn’t have been able to have a white wedding.” Arthur’s reply “We’ll be able to have another in twelve months; the way things are going on.” Ellie brings just the right amount of naivety and ingenuousness to the character. In both bride and groom, we are allowed to see the true depth of the love between them. Well done, Matt and Ellie. Liz Rowell and Simon Bailey added colour to the action in a not- so-happy marriage partnership of Molly and Joe Thompson, Arthur’s cinema owning boss. Leighton Hunt, as Arthur’s brother Geoff, and Wayne Brankin, as Arthur’s mate and co-worker, add wonderfully to the overall feel of the play. Violet’s Uncle Fred is played by Alan Hargreaves, with the right level of concern and common sense. The stage set is minimal with split level playing areas. On display was a wonderful monochrome back-drop of Bolton, lit with good effect picking out the intimacy of certain scenes. Excellent sound effects bring reality to the action. One in particular had a certain ring to it and was sure to bring a sprinkling of laughter from the audience. John Cummings had worked his cast well, to highlight the differences between the various couples and to ensure that each player contributed something to this wonderful comedy.

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