COMIC POTENTIAL

Dates

Production Dates: 11, 12 and 13 May 2006.

Set in the future where everything has changed except human nature; a future where daytime TV soaps are performed by android actors emotionally programmed by the control room. One JC 31333, finds herself humanised as Jackie Triptree, complete with a sense a humour and Adam, a young script writer, falls for her.

See review by David Ashton below

Cast     Doctor/Farmer   Chris Robertson Mother / Farmer's Wife / Boutique Assistant/Prostitute   Maggie Savill Son / Waiter   Allan Grace Jacie Triplethree   Alison Squires Prim Spring   Natalie Snelson Chandler Tate   Ian Jewesbury Trudi Floote / Girl In Boutique   Laura Baker Carla Pepperbloom   Summer Nisar Adam Trainsmith   Guy Johnson Marmion / Man In Boutique / Turkey / Technician   Nigel Gray Lester Trainsmith / Hotel Desk Clerk / Head waiter   Bernard Godwin Production Team Director   Chris Robertson Producer   Bernard Godwin

More Photos (click to enlarge)

Review

"A bold move by Chris Robertson to get the Magdalene Players to stage Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential and perform outside the group’s normal comfort zone, taking on a modern play about the future where actoids perform daytime TV soaps. It could have gone disastrously wrong. On Saturday night, Chris Robertson could laugh in the face of the pessimists and critics and revel in the adulation he deserved for bringing such an excellent play to such tremendous success.

He had in his hands a well-selected cast of stars, each glittering brightly and giving fabulous performances, shining and outshining each other constantly with skill and confidence. Alison Squires’ central performance as Jacie Triplethree was bang on: she had the right mix of freakish robot and naïve little girl, of thoughtful wonder and pent-up frustration, of comic silliness and tragic fragility. This was her night and no one was going to take it away from her, for her star was truly blazing and her co-stars gave back the glow. She was ably supported by Guy Johnson’s charming portrayal as the eager Adam, with his head in the clouds and Ian Jewesbury’s solid performance as Chandler Tate. Summer Nisar was born to play the icy but sexy executive businesswoman, conveying her part equally well with delicious venom-spiked dialogue or the subtle raising of an arched eyebrow. Laura Baker and Natalie Snelson played their parts as Chandler’s assistants with gusto, giving the correct balance of failed studio employees, fun-loving girls who would rather be elsewhere and loyal supporters of Director Tate.

Those in the smaller roles were a ray of sunshine and made the most of their limited stage time, taking over the theatre as if they owned it. Bernard Godwin’s gruff, old, and often silent Lester Trainsmith was brilliantly understated and a marked contrast to his knowing and effeminate receptionist in a short scene that he made his own. Nigel Gray made his mark with his wonderful “Thunderbird on speed portrayal” of Marmion and gave an amazing athletic rendition of Turkey, playing as if he was auditioning for a major part on EastEnders. Allan Grace and Chris Robertson provided reliable support as actoids, waiters and maybe even the odd stagehand moment. The main small part revelation for me was Maggie Savill, not seen on stage for some time and obviously saving herself for this show. Maggie played four very different parts and managed to display a superb range which suggests that she is much underestimated by the group. First Casualty support actor stalwart crying like it is the end of the world; next a Deirdre Barlow-like farmer’s wife; a Marks and Spencers floor manager, a sort of posh Miss Brahms; and finally Tina Turner with even more oomph than Tina herself. Simply the best!

As we have come to expect from the Magdalene Players, the scenery was simple but used inventively, particularly in the second Act where there were a number of rather quick scene changes: one minute the studio, the next a shop, then a hotel bedroom. The backdrop remained the same but the stage was transformed very cleverly with a small number of movable furniture pieces and props and the odd embellishment descending from the ceiling. The lighting was skilfully used as ever by Richard Grogan, as were the sound effects, effortlessly delivered. I also noticed that the songs played during the scenes or as an introduction to the scenes were cleverly chosen and the maestro who selected these needs special acclaim: the Corrs’ “Runaway” while the lovers fled and Moroder and Oakey’s “Together In Electric Dreams” reflecting the love of the writer and robot for each other, to name but two.

There were the odd moments where things were not perfect: the odd comic line thrown away or a speech delivered too quietly. The loud thudding of scenery and props in the scene changes seemed rather irritating. However, nothing could mar the night as a whole with the galaxy of performances the audience was treated to, with each person playing their part to the full.

Comic Potential – potent comedy. Comic Potential – actually attained!"

Review by David Ashton