This talented stage group continues to prove itself as a hub for up-and-coming talent...
Suppose you were in a trainwreck? Bruised, though not seriously injured. Yet trapped until rescuers arrive with cutting equipment. And there is only one other passenger in this cage of steel and suitcases. How would you pass the time? Idle chitchat, jokes, singing, intimate revelations?
This is exactly the premise of the West Bridgford Dramatic Society’s first one-act play of the evening. Strangers Hugo and Martha survive the crash, but will they survive each other’s foibles? As time passes, and rescuers fail to appear, they bear their souls and share deep secrets. But there are twists. And maybe they are in far more danger than it at first seems.
Close to Croydon is by playwright Gillian Plowman and stars Lesley Flounders and Luke Bratton. The script tackles some sensitive issues with humour and insight. The actors carry the material with aplomb and the audience remain intrigued throughout.
A big thank to the West Bridgford Dramatic Society for keeping culture alive in the suburbs
After the intermission, comes the second one-act play, Music for Amelia by Derek Hughes. Calum Sharp and Robert Dixon star in this tightly-plotted thriller. A famous politician turns up at a radio station for a Desert Island Discs-style programme. The flunky for a famous DJ rehearses said politician with snippets of music and questions about career and life - questions the politician finds alarmingly close to the bone. Is his mind being read? Does the flunky know something he does not? The tone quickly darkens and ends up as something of a whodunnit. Expect revelations, a punch-up and a closing curtain twist you will not see coming. Kudos to the actors for keeping us riveted.
The West Bridgford Dramatic Society has been around for many years and runs an ambitious programme of plays. The one-act plays are as much a vehicle for breaking in new talent as anything else. Fully-fledged productions coming up include the works of Bertolt Brecht, Ian Hislop and Agatha Christie. Something for everyone, then. And part of the joy of local productions is the venue. The one-act plays take place at the Studio Theatre, surrounded by allotments and footpaths. This makes for a lovely evening in the summer months. Don’t be fooled though, the stage sets, lighting, sound etcetera are all quality and the bar sells alcohol and soft drinks.
A big thank to the West Bridgford Dramatic Society for keeping culture alive in the suburbs. Great stuff!
A One-Act Event plays at the Stamford Theatre from Weds July 13 to Saturday July 16 2022
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