26th July - Critical Decisions

[MartinG]

For the past couple of years the Community Theatre Association in this region have been operating a kind of peer-review system whereby a panel of three volunteers from groups in the scheme go along and see a play which one of the group's have entered in the festival. They then go and complete a kind of pro-forma with the help of a carefully prescribed marking scheme, (Did they remember to turn up? -1...Was it the most stunning performance ever? -10...etc.). This was designed to replace the increasingly prohibitive custom of inviting an external adjudicator who gave their subjective opinion and handed out the gongs. 

Those of us who volunteered to do the reviews were briefed to be as constructive and encouraging as possible,  and generally speaking, considering the groups are effectively competing against each other for awards, everything's been pleasantly civilised. At the weekend I was on the panel for quite possibly the worst play ever written by the most untalented cast ever assembled. I've been putting it off but really needed to make a start this evening. I really don't want to upset anyone. Phrases from Mrs Worthington fly round my head. I've commenced along the lines of suggesting that at this point the author was perhaps not at the height of his powers, which present a challenge to the most experienced group...

Faint praise offerings most welcome.

[Chris L]

Faint (and not-so-faint) praise offered.

Dare I ask what the play was?

[MartinG]

A terrible 'farce' by a fellow called Derek Benfield (alumnus of the late Brian Rix) - First Things First. Predicated on the baffling premise that the leading male character has failed to mention to his second wife of six months the fact that he had a first wife who apparently perished on a mountain eighteen months previously. Naturally she turns up, with side-splitting consequences.

Needless to say when you sign up to this review panel thing you have to take the rough with the smooth. Boy was this rough. The main issue - apart from cringeworthy uncertainty over lines from start to finish - was that nobody seemed to understand exactly what they were supposed to know or not know at any point...it was like a long, rambling improvisation by half a dozen people who had never set foot on stage in their lives.  

Great to see @JimW BTW 

[MartinG]

"...Though vocally he was generally a little low-key, it was a solid performance evidently unaffected by the epidemic of nerves among the other cast members..."

[Vera Charles]

"...Though vocally he was generally a little low-key, it was a solid performance evidently unaffected by the epidemic of nerves among the other cast members..."

I think that says it all. Bravo!
Not sure I can add much, other than moral support. Courage, mon brave!

[JimW]

Great to see @JimW BTW  

Great to be here!

[JimW]

@Bobster - I found SantaBob on Photobucket.  Will send him on when I have time!

[Vera Charles]

Great to see @JimW BTW  

Great to be here!

Hurrah! 👋🏻 Hello, @JimW!

[AmyG]

Welcome, @JimW!

[Bobster]

@Bobster - I found SantaBob on Photobucket.  Will send him on when I have time!

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!