Previous Shows

THIS reviewer happens to think that Jess Rickett’s performance as Rita in Thompson Promotions version of Educating Rita was the best individual performance we have seen in the thirteen years of our newspaper.

Of course, this is just one reviewers opinion but we happen to think the sold out audience at the Victoria Hall Theatre on Thursday with agrees.

And this was no mean feat. It was another warm evening. Luckily, Victoria Hall has air conditioning but even so, the first half was 80 minutes long, so for two actors (Jim Thompson played Frank Bryant) to keep an audience entertained was quite an achievement.

 Jess simply inhabited the character of Rita. Jess did it from the very moment she burst through the door to the moment she cut his hair.

It would be understandable if an actor fell into a performance that was a karaoke version of Julie Walters. Instead, Jess made it her own. Not just the voice but movement, inflection and how she interacted with Frank.

This reviewer was at university in the eighties and can recall when, in late May, the Open University students came to study, how they were looked down on.

Of course, they were greatly helped by Willy Russell’s script.

“You familiar with Yeats?” “Does he own the wine lodge in the High Street?”

But they were greatly helped (that is an understatement) by Jim Thompson’s production and the whole direction.

We know how much work Jim in particular puts into this. How much he cares and pays attention to every detail. The man even grew a very impressive beard!

He even put in a pratfall that got a round of applause on its own!

The pacing was seamless and they were also able to paint pictures of other characters such as Julia and Tiger.

But we must return to Jess. With local theatre, we get to appreciate the very busy lives people have. We have seen her at the chalkface, teaching children with complex needs. And she still gets time to put in a perfect performance like this.

But her performance as the “transformed” Rita (Susan) was even more remarkable. It was subtle. Yes, it was all Peer Gynt, E.M Forster and Macbeth but it was such a soft transition.

It was great to see the audience give such a heartfelt round of applause at the end (Hello to the lady from Kerry sitting next to me).

In many ways, this was a love letter to any person who, at any stage in life, has wanted to better themselves. That emotion ran through the whole performance.

This performance educated us all. We are never too old to learn.

It was obvious that Little Women was a passionate and personal project for Thompson Productions.

Director Jane Thompson explains a lot in the programme. They all had invested (emotionally) a great deal.

What we got was a wonderfully acted, deeply emotional telling of the Louisa May Alcott classic.

If there was ever a set that used every inch, nook and cranny of a stage then this was it. From an upstairs bedroom to a revolving room. It was very clever indeed.

The standout performance in this play was Lucy-Jo Gladstone’s Jo. We saw her two years ago in The Railway Children as Bobbie but her portrayal of Jo March was outstanding. She commanded the stage with such passion and confidence.

There was so much to her acting, every gesture, every motion. There was something about her when she moved to the front of the stage. She was so impressive. Young Lucy-Jo is definitely a talented to watch.

By contrast, Rosalea Hall had the most challenging role as Beth. This required a quietness, a stillness and humility that can go unrecognised. Not here: it was a master class in an understated performance.

Whilst Jess Keilty as Amy was required to perform three Amy’s as her character, more than anyone ,had to transform from the youngest of the four to a confident woman. Again that was quite a feat which Jess did exquisitely.

And Nyah Henderson, the Madam Bovary of the four, showed all her acting qualities as her character transformed into a caring and protective wife and mother.

They were supported by nine other actors, nine older performers, whose strengths ensured the play was a great success.

Each actors character was so firmly carved out. Perhaps special mention of Vanessa Wood as Aunt March. She was quite a fearsome presence, greatly assisted by some very scary mid-nineteenth century Great Aunt outfits. Hats off or perhaps bonnets off to Costume Designer Jess Ricketts and her team.

We are no strangers to Thompson Productions and we are always impressed by their use of light. The background illustrating the change of season was so important. Well done to Mike and Thomas Penketh.

This production evoked many emotions. The key themes of growth, understanding and sacrifice were very well illustrated. We have to say that the passing of Beth was one of the most emotional scenes we have seen at Victoria Hall. Special mention at this moment to Jo Gladstone.

If there was one quibble it was the length. It began at 7.30pm and we were out at 10.40. Yes, there is a lot to get through but we could feel the audience struggling past 10pm.

Moving on, we appreciate the level of professionalism, the level of detail and the overall commitment to the world of theatre given by Thompson Productions.

The show received a rapturous round of applause at the end. We have a feeling there may have been school friends in the audience! They were clearly very proud of their colleagues.

A bravura production and performance and maybe just maybe a star for the future…..

The show runs until Saturday. It is sold out but that is testament to the standards at  Victoria Hall Theatre.

Excellent: Five Stars

SKIRMISHES was a brave choice. A play, where one women is in a coma and the other two bicker the whole time, is not everyone’s idea of a fun night out but stay with us.

Skirmishes was an enthralling piece of theatre that brought out the very best in local theatre in Harlow.

The sisters Jean and Rita (played by Gemma Colton and Jess Ricketts), are at the deathbed of their Mother (Jaki Newman) and there is no amount of love lost between them.

It is set in one room, a stark bedroom with one bed and one chair.

But for the two hours, you are gripped by the quality of acting and the way Gem and Jess dominate the stage.

Gemma almost dons a mask as she plays the bitter, oh so bitter Jean whilst Jess is a different breed of bitter in a young Hyacinth Bucket sort of way.

The play may be set in 1982 but it has so many contemporary themes. Anyone who has had close relatives die, knows there can be internal dynamics that, having sat beneath the surface, for a long time, come up for air.

Much of the best acting is the looks, the subtle gestures, the body language and the stress between the two sisters.

They have far much more in common than they will admit and that is underlined as the back story develops.

Hats off to Jaki Newman. At one stage, this reviewer was wondering what that breathing noise was. Then he realised it was Mother. Wonder if you can get an award for “breathing”?

We must go back to Gem and Jess. They are such versatile actors. For Jess to switch from Alice Tinker in Vicar of Dibley to quite a menacing Fay in A Chorus of Disapproval is quite a feat.

For Gemma to be so extrovert as Toby Belch in MHP’s Twelfth Night to Jean here is also remarkable. In Skirmishes it was as if she was wearing a mask and that is a real talent.

The hallmark of Jim Thompson’s direction is to let the play and the acting breath and that is exactly what happened. This play at times was sparse with short but distinct periods of no dialogue. But the audience was totally enthralled.

Well done to all those back stage.

This is a really welcome and important addition to the local theatre portfolio here in Harlow.

ANY play that has a character called Mark Hollis and begins with the haunting notes from Talk Talk’s The Colour of Spring has grabbed this reviewers attention from the get-go.

This was a superb original play by local writer Andrew Pragnell, which we would highly recommend you seeing.

Part Wicker Man, part Waiting for Godot, part Brush Strokes, this haunting piece of “Folk Horror” built up layer upon layer of tension over the two hours.

It succeeded for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was superbly acted. Each actor was very comfortable in their own skins especially the two painters, Mark (Jim Thompson) and Nick (Kyle Jaggers). They both got the balance between comedy and horror right. They both commanded the stage and worked so well together.

The “banter” was very funny. In Kyle’s case, he was a very good swearer!

The plot was developed neatly. Not only with the introduction of Miss Littlefield (Katie Millner) who was a rural Frau Blucher but also the mad and menacing Lord du-Bois (Mark Ratcliffe). As the programme said the costumes were “actor’s own, it does make you curious as to what Mark’s wardrobe looks like!

We can’t praise the actors high enough. Yes they had a great script but they worked as an ensemble so well.

The build up of menace and horror was elevated by one scene. If there was a tremor in Old Harlow around 8pm this week, then it may well be down to that one particular scene.

There is most welcome use of music that punctuates the play. From Fleet Foxes to Nick Drake to the Britt Ekland dancing bit in the Wicker Man. The music allows the tension to build.

This all takes place in one room, so the work of the crew was so important here. Well done to all those behind the scenes especially, mask makers and lighting.

Any criticisms? We are probably in a minority but thought the two scenes in the second half between Miss Littlefield and Mark and then Lord Du-Bois and Mark could easily have been cut and not affected the narrative.

However, at the end this play got a rapturous round of applause. Sometimes applause is for being entertained (see Vicar of Dibley) but this applause was for an outstanding piece if theatre which drew every audience member in. We think they knew they were in the presence of a haunting pice of theatre that will live long in the memory.

We just hope we don’t have to wait another eight years for an Andrew Prangnell play!

TEECHERS is one of those plays that is much much harder to do than you may think.

It was written in the mid-eighties and in the wrong hands it can date quicker than you can say Fenn Street Gang (Google it).

This version, directed by Jim Thomas and starring Kirstie Brough, Ben Parsley and Amy Jaggers was a fresh, contemporary production and will resonate with everyone from those who are studying Teechers as a set text to those who remember…..The Fenn Street Gang.

Jim Thompson’s production is tight and well disciplined. Sometimes productions of Teechers are swallowed up by indiscipline and anarchy and become somewhat incoherent. This production does not waste a line, a mannerism or a moment. Every character (and there are a lot) is fully rounded and developed. Every piece of Theatre 2 is used. In fact it is a lesson in how to use such a space effectively.

Most of all the three actors are a delight. In many ways, Ben Parsley was the anchor role, mainly for his portrait of Mr Nixon. Many of us have seen Ben in a lot of comedies and pantomimes but this reminded us what a versatile actor he is.

The same can be said of Kirstie Brough. She fizzed with energy whether it was as Gail Saunders, Miss Witham or Miss Prime but Kirstie also had a number of moments where subtle and nuance were to the fore.

Amy Jaggers underlined what a wonderful comic actress she is. Her characters really had depth and she must have got a laugh at every line. This is an actress who would surely shine in some form of one-woman show.

Above all, the three performers were a perfect balance. This play is delicately balanced. With ten characters it can become confusing, play the parts too much like cartoon characters and it loses its message. There was none of this here. The message at the end is as fresh in 2020 as it was in 1984.

This show was performed in Chelmsford and Harlow throughout 2019. Co-written by Jim Thompson and Amy Jaggers it was a 50 romp designed to entertain children and parents alike.

Theatre programmes used this text to promote the show:

BRING your children to meet Goldilocks and The Big Bad Wolf. Both think they are the baddest in the woods and will do whatever it takes to get the basket of cakes!

This new show re-introduces you to two classic characters and they have brought along some new Friends for you to meet too.

With new original songs, puppets, a little bit of learning and lots and lots of fun; this is a show for all the family to enjoy.

So keep hold of your sweets and come to the Deep Dark Wood to see who gets the cakes and the crown of Baddest Baddie!

Suitable for children 3 to 10 years.

The show stopped performing due to the 2020 COVID Pandemic but there are plans to bring this show back to local theatres.

Get in touch if you would like this to come to your local theatre!

PICTURE this. You are a journalist who has been working on politics stories all day. You then go down to the Victoria Theatre to review a play that centres on..local politics and planning applications.

But having grabbed a Merlot and a very comfortable new seat at the Victoria Theatre, this reporter was then treated to a riveting piece of human theatre.

Swift Developments want to get their hands on the Berkley Council estate. The Local Authority wants them to have it.
The only people who don’t are the estate’s residents.

It is described as a story of social and family values but that may make it sound rather stiff. Instead, through excellent writing, acting and direction, it is a warm, funny but also hard hitting play.

Praise has to go to the writer Andrew Prangnell whose script zips along and is matched by his direction that tightly keeps the story moving.

After an introductory film that sets the scene we are introduced to both sides. Jim Thompson’s feckless and frankly corrupt councillor enables us to see that this is not set to be a fair fight. This is underscored when we meet Alan played by Steve Foster. Once again, Steve brings a real sense of Machiavellian menace.

The other side has all the laughs but you can only do that with good actors and a snappy script. The two “double acts” are a real joy and bounce off each other. The street sarcasm of Charlie and Rosie played by Ellie Darby-Prangnell and Molly Jenkins is matched by the ditzy duo of Jane Thompson and Jaki Newman as Barbara and Mary.

It is Kyle Jagger’s Tom and Amy Jagger’s Lesley that bring real gravitas to the play as they fight for the rich to keep their homes. Very natural, very engaging but also convey the fears that people in their situation have.

Each character makes perfect sense. Both Mila from the former Yugoslavia and the reporter Will played by Tony Saxby also bring vital dimensions and depth to the play.

This really was a play for our times and engaged the audience from beginning to end.

But perhaps the best moment was the end. It is not a twist but there is no need to give it away. It made for a perfect end to a near perfect piece of theatre.

Oh and any play that has Sleaford Mods and Tears for Fears in it’s soundtrack is alright by us!

The play is supporting Street2Homes.

TAKE two real life married couples, add four characters who are working class social climbers desperate to get their fingertips on the next rung of the ladder, mix together with Willy Russell’s sharp, incisive and hilarious script and allow to simmer over the summer and the result is Thompson Promotions’ production of ‘One For The Road’, a hilarious comedy that is about as near to farce that Willy Russell (Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine) has come.

Set in the 1980s in the living room of the Cain residence, the story follows Pauline, who spends a lot of her time doing her damnest to keep up with the Joneses (aka her smug neighbours Jane and Roger Fuller) and her poor husband Dennis, who is trying to come to terms with how his once exciting life has panned out. As poor Dennis’ midlife crisis blossoms on the eve of his 40th birthday, what has the making of quite a melancholy storyline (as he reminisces about days gone by) is injected with plenty of funny moments as Jane and Roger are more than preoccupied trying to find out the identity of a garden vandal, and their dynamic as the “perfect” couple becomes unravelled.

Throughout the play there is some underlying social commentary about stale marriages, hypocrisy and the acquisitive society.  No genuine comedy could exist without some truth and in ‘One for the Road’ Willy Russell does not fail to provide this, but in the main aim is, as always, the laughter.

This production, which runs from Thursday 24th until Saturday 26th September at The Victoria Hall Theatre with Jim Thompson in the lead role of Dennis Cain who is a prankster, a mimic and occasional poet, uses wisecracks as a weapon in an effort to evade the death that can overtake a life which has every comfort except that of individuality and fulfilment. Wendy Parsley takes on the role of Dennis’ less than emphatic wife Pauline. Jim’s real wife of 5 months, Jane Thompson, plays the role of the snobbish neighbour Jane; hell bent on interfering in everyone else’s life, diagnosing Dennis’ problem as sexual at root. Her husband (played by Wendy’s real life husband Richard Parsley) Roger thinks Dennis problems revolve around “hump-wish”.

Putting a vivid light on dull suburbia Willy Russell manages to be hilarious and unusually sympathetic at the same time in a play that promises the perfect antidote to beat the impending autumn blues.