Two plays about sex and other problems, directed by professional actor and director Robert Swinton.
The Studio, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster
Monday 1st to Saturday 6th November 2004
Two plays were chosen for this full production by director Rob Swinton and representatives of The Nonentities after a competition run by Swan Playwrights. The plays were...
Double entendres and witty one-liners abound in this satirical comedy of media exploitation, celebrity, drugs and hidden secrets set in the crazy world of a sexual stamina marathon. Watch that purple helmet!
Sausage problems - in more ways than one - in this dark comedy about a man losing his marbles in middle age: Bill Bangor's father's death and office philandering compromise his family relations and re-awaken the past...
Shagathon |
Crisis Management | ||
| Dave | Darren Cheek | Bill Bangor | Tim Charrington |
| Norma | Vicky Constable | Penny Redd | Sinead Maffei |
| Mickey | Dennis Beasley | Fern | Laurie Pollitt |
| Vince | Tim Charrington | Isobel | Dympna Jardine |
| Lydia | Jo Widdowson | Audrey | Jo Widdowson |
| Brian McNamara | Darren Cheek | ||
| Sister Augusta | Darren Cheek | ||
Production | |
| Director | Rob Swinton |
| Props | Jenny Knight and Patricia Phillips |
| Sound | Matt Yarwood |
| Lights | Richard Williamson |
| Costume | Joan Harborne |
| Backstage assistance | Liz Cole, Martin Drury, Keith Higgins, Les Laws and Coll Mealing |
Double Trouble, Rose Theatre, Kidderminster
THIS joint venture by Swan Playwrights and the Nonentities consists of two comedies by two writers.
Shagathon, by Nicholas Corder, is so remarkably rude that the surreal and outrageous become the norm and we are jollied along on a tide of disbelieving, chuckling acceptance.
It's the story of a league of teams that compete in sexual endeavour and our team is preparing for its encounter with the Rotheram Rogerers.
Absurdity is all, and it works very well on its own raucous level, with Darren Cheek going brazenly as the, er, up and coming star and team-mate Tim Charrington provoking a crisis by taking Viagra and then finding that a drug test is imminent.
Crisis Management, by Martin Drury, deals with a family's problems with its teenage daughter (Laurie Pollitt).
Dad (Tim Charrington) has the doubtful benefit of intermittent advice from an amusing sexually-repressed nun (Darren Cheek) who was his teacher.
But the family rows are too reminiscent of a television soap opera to have a special appeal, despite the lunatic religious interventions.
The production, by Rob Swinton, continues until Saturday.
DOUBLE TROUBLE, Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. Until Saturday
POINTLESS, silly and puerile, are the words which sum up the first of this double bill, presented in a joint venture between Swan Playwrights and the Nonentities.
Shagathon by Nicholas Corder, tells the story of Dave, who aspires to be the next Becks - but not as a footballer (see title!), and Vince, an ageing star who has to resort to taking a performance-enhancing drug.
There are funny moments, especially the scene where the masseuse tries to help Vince to regurgitate the tablet as he has to undergo a drugs test.
The characters are ridiculous, though well acted, especially Tim Charrington as Vince, Vicky Constable as the masseuse, and Darren Cheek as Dave, and the nicknames of the former "stars" are the sort little boys who have just learned some rude words mights have thought up.
The second play, Crisis Management by Martin Drury, is better. Yes, it is still loaded with words of a sexual nature but the characters are real people, and believable.
Again Mr Cherrington was impressive, as Bill Bangor, who fancies his secretary but will not be unfaithful to his wife, no matter how persuasive Penny, played well by Sinead Maffei, gets.
Bill looks at his life through flashback - old girlfriend, old school pal - and is especially influenced by Sister Augusta, who regularly drummed into her pupils the perils of indulging in sins of the flesh.
Her words come to mind when Bill's 15-year-old daughter stays out late at night, and wears a scarf at breakfast. He becomes obsessed with trying to protect her innocence, while she reminds him she is 15, to which he replies "15 is an age, not a reason."
Again the cast, a mixture of professional and amateur actors, was good, but James Creek [Darren Cheek] stole the scenes as Sister Augusta.
Obviously these plays are not for children or anyone who is easily offended.
The other shortlisted plays were...
The competition rules stated...
All scripts submitted received a report by a theatre professional. Each of the winning scripts enjoyed a process of dramaturgical support and then rehearsal. The production was worked on by an experienced professional director and a mixture of professional and community actors. The competition was open to anyone living, working or studying in Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire or Stourbridge or who is a member of Swan Playwrights.