Reviews

Bart' Street
Real-life whodunnit

The 1970s remind me of joining a popmobility class at the Greenham air base. How well I remember pounding around the gym to the hits of the day in the firm belief that it was doing me good!

How strange it was to be back on the base for Bart Street - a story set to the music of the 70s, written by local man David Slade and performed by A Class Act, a theatre group of young and old who work so well together. Nearly all the adult cast had at least two parts and could switch from one to the other without batting an eyelid.

The story is based on the true events in Reading in 1929, when local tobacconist Arthur Oliver was killed, and there was little evidence for the police to gain a conviction.

David Slade had the extraordinary ability to envisage this event in 70s Newbury and set it to the music of the day.

The adult members of the cast burst on to the stage with a belting rendition of Blame it on the Boogie, with Wendy Orpwood as soloist. She was evidently comfortable singing, so it was no surprise that she sings with another group in Reading. Paul Wrightson followed with a very sinister solo of Killer On The Loose, his mask and the smokescreen setting the scene for the unfolding play. Paul is a brilliant rock singer, formerly with Arena, where he honed his acting skills and their album.

The story is based around Newbury's old Plaza, the tobacconists in the Arcade, and a travelling theatre group led by David Slade as drunken fading artist Drew.

A group of youngsters persuade one of their gang to try to pinch some cigarettes from the shop and he finds the owner badly injured. The youngsters run off, the police arrive and the old boy is taken off to hospital where he dies.

The talented young actors, aged from nine to 14, were confident and their song and dance routines were well-rehearsed and executed.

The third venue was a nightclub, where the adults performed some brilliant 70s numbers, including an Abba tribute by Wendy and Natasha Atkins, Brickhouse by David Slade, which was followed with a duet with Rosie Sinfield who has moved up to the adult group with ease. The rock numbers were performed by Paul Wrightson in one of his dual roles - Gerald, an aging rocker.

Newbury nick, the final venue, had Dennis Heath as the chief constable and his sidekicks Det Sup Chapman played by Paul Wrightson, DC Futcher (Mark Read of Kick FM fame) and Louise Embling in her first performance for A Class Act. Dennis was excellent as the bumbling chief constable and showed true professionalism with his convincing one-sided telephone conversations.

The murder investigation concluded that Drew was the murderer and he was convicted and tried. The locals and jury were unconvinced, and when he was released there was cause for celebration in the finale.

However, such is the skill of David Slade that as the troupe leave the stage, and the audience began to think of leaving, the identity of the killer is revealed - Gerald - going home with his nagging wife when he strangles her. A great way to end an exceptional performance.

GERRY THURGUT

The Third Tunnel
Script shone through

A Class Act is a drama group with a difference. Formed

less than two years ago, the company's musical dramas

bring together adult and junior performers with great effect

in a community-style show.

Their latest production, The Third Tunnel, written by the

director David Slade, was set in the Blitz and told the tale

of various families and friends living through the darkest days

of the Second World War.

The studio theatre of New Greenham Arts provided an

excellent backdrop for the play's setting of platforms and tunnels of the London Underground, where families

crowded together to shelter from the bombs.

Class Act used the wide, dual-level stage to great effect,

with subdued lighting and well chosen sound effects contributing to the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

They also paid close attention to detail, including costumes, hair and props - which added further to the atmosphere (let down only by unsightly microphones for the singers).

The play highlighted the endless hardships borne by London's population during the war, offering brief moments of romance and hilarity which helped to revive their 'bulldog spirit'. It also focused on the great levelling effect that the air-raids had on

the families seeking mutual support in adversity.

Against the gloomy background, David Slade's script shone with wry humour and affection, and it was clear that he had given his cast a chance to develop their own characters (the children, in particular, had really stamped their own personalities on their roles).

The script was punctuated by a number of wartime songs, mostly sung as solos and duets. Some were a little anachronistic, but they were all tackled with sincerity and enthusiasm by the players. The radio mics proved

somewhat unreliable, which was a shame, as the volume

was uneven and the bold recorded accompaniments tended

to overwhelm some of the soloists.

It's impossible to mention all of the 20-odd cast members,

but a number of performances stood out. Paul Wrightson

gave a nicely understated performance as Ralph, the spiv

with the heart of gold, and his duet with Reenie came over

well.

Wendy Orpwood was excellent as Reenie, the policeman's

wife with an eye for romance, and Wendy's delivery of her

own song Freedom was one of the highlights of the show.

Tony Cook showed his versatility with two very different parts. Tim, an aristocratic caricature, and the long-suffering Alby,

who lost his trousers in one air raid only to be attacked by

a neighbour's dog in the next.

Emma Newman gave a strong and melodic performance

as Connie, and Natasha Atkins was well cast her snooty companion Alice. John Moran provided plenty of cockney charm as Charlie, while Sonya Bull (who also choreographed the show) played Winnie and Gertie with equal enthusiasm.

The junior cast were very much at the heart of the plot, as

they ventured out along a disused tunnel (almost with tragic consequences). Led by Jack Denyer as Josie, the children gave consistently strong and audible performances throughout, and clearly loved every minute of the production. Congratulations to them all.

MARK LILLYCROP

A Backstage Pass
Great chance for all to work together

A Class Act Performing Arts Theatre Company: A Back Stage Pass - New Greenham Arts, 22nd to 24th May 2003

How do you stage a variety show that also gives the performers a chance to act, and includes all ages from eight upwards? A Class Act's answer was to incorporate the variety turns as auditioning acts in a play about a theatre's history since the Second World War. The result was a bit contrived, but you could say the same about any musical.

The singing was good, the standard of the acting varied, but what came across strongly was the enthusiasm and discipline of the cast. The show got off to a tremendous start with a rousing rendition of Queen's We Will Rock You. The opening number is so important to get right, and this one almost blew us out of our seats.

Two children, Aimee Slade and Tori Nunn, were disturbed by the theatre's ghost during an air raid. They guided us through the rest of the action, with most of the first act taken up with the auditions. These included songs from Sue Gower, Carollann Farrel, Wendy Orpwood and Melanie Stevens, with opportunities for the rest of the cast to join in, and a magic act from Willie Rex.

The plot had two main strands: the attempts of the randy director (Tony Cook) to seduce the auditioning hopefuls, and the fraudulent actions of the office staff in keeping back some of the stage hands' pay.

The set was a convincing back stage area, with lots of props to give it interest, although it looked as though it was a bit of a squeeze to get through the openings.

A Class Act is Newbury's newest amateur group and this was their first production. It was written and directed by David Slade, with choreography from Melanie Stevens, who gave a good acting performance as well as singing and dancing. The production was well rehearsed and the pace and timing were good throughout.

David Slade's aim was to include the children as an integral part of the show with the adults. There are a lot of children's groups and adult groups in the area, but A Class Act have succeeded in generating an inclusive environment where they can all work together, in this happy show.

PAUL SHAVE

A Class Act Performing Arts Theatre Company

Affiliated to NODA