The Swan Playwrights

Secrets and Lies

A closed competition for group members.

Three new short plays by Worcestershire writers, performed by local professionals and directed by Clare Smout.

At The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster on June 18th and 19th 2003
and Worcester Arts Workshop on June 20th and 21st 2003

All four shows attracted large audiences who contributed enthusiastically to the writers' feedback sessions after the show. There's an online review of one of the Worcester shows by Rod Dungate at http://www.reviewsgate.com/. There's a review from The Kidderminster Shuttle lower down the page.

FLIGHT by Kate Shaw

A timely tale of female initiative.
Ali is detained at Birmingham Airport. What is the reason that he is not being allowed to join his brother in Karachi for the family wedding? Airport official Eunice is tight-lipped.

Cast:

MATT’S SONG by Ali Oxtoby

Three young people confront their demons as they carry out Matt’s last wish.
It’s what Matt wanted – White-Leaved Oak, bubbly, mintcake and probably the most annoying song in the history of pop. Not too much to ask for one’s last wish. So why after three years is it causing so much tension for Davey, Anna and Chris?

Cast:

FROM C TO D by Martin Drury

A middle aged romance – or a disaster waiting to happen?
C: Whoever said fat was a feminist issue wasn’t going on a blind date.
D: For me it’s all about...
          ...gsoh, meeting people, fun and friendship
          ...a single soul in two bodies...
   That’s what I said on my intimate profile anyway.

Just because you’re looking for love at the same dating agency doesn’t mean you’ll find it!

Cast:

Thanks to members of Swan Playwrights, The Nonentities and staff at Worcester Arts Workshop for performing front of house duties.

Grateful thanks also to Holland Funeral Services, Barnards Green Road, Malverm for kindly supplying a very important prop for Matt's Song and to Theatre Unlimited for the loan of a sound mixer desk for the Worcester dates.

The competition guidelines included...

1.       Scripts need to deal with at least one secret and/or lie to satisfy the umbrella title. Apart from that you have carte blanche with the material format and style of your piece.

2.       Work should be in the form of complete monologues, duologues or short plays with three or four actors (doubling is acceptable provided you indicate how it is to be done - and it's workable!). No piece should be longer than 45 minutes; 30 minutes is the ideal. The play should be complete - not an extract from a longer piece.

Review from The Kidderminster Shuttle 26 June 2003...

SECRETS AND LIES Swan Playwrights Rose Theatre, Kidderminster.
PLAYS by amateur writers performed by professional actors?

At times one might have been fooled into thinking it was the other way round at this showcase of new work by the Swan Playwrights, resident at The Rose.

In terms of writing, Kate Shaw's Flight - the first of the three - was the weakest, in that I only realised it was supposed to be an exploration of the issues surrounding young Muslims' involvement in acts of international terrorism when I read the programme notes.

But the performances by Jetinder Summan and Keeley Harker were engaging, which is more than can be said for those involved in Ali Oxtoby's Matt's Song.

While not perfect, the play had a decent tilt at the themes of death and guilt - however, the piece was marred by some stilted sixth form-style acting (wishy-washy non-regional accents and over pronunciation included) from, primarily, Ellis Creez, with Georgia Clare and Daniel Hawthorne only marginally better.

Things picked up with by the far the strongest play, From C to D by Martin Drury, the story of a mismatched couple on a blind date.

The writing's reach did not exceed its grasp and came complete with some truly funny one-liners.

Gareth Wyn-Jones entertained as he dominated the stage with a performance that can only be compared to Jasper Carrott on speed, while Val Harrison was suitably indignant, flustered and confused as the high powered businesswoman lumbered with him.

Gripes aside, fresh theatre like this is always worth seeing - and who can argue with three for the price of one? AMD

Reproduced with permission. The Kidderminster Shuttle Web site is at www.thisiskidderminster.co.uk.