Sad and funny in equal measure in a setting which any charity volunteer will recognise
Sue Townsend is obviously best known for creating the character of Adrian Mole (aged 13¾ when he kicked of a two-decade long series of books in the early 80s and around the same time, she also wrote the play which is on stage at the Swan Studio theatre courtesy of STAC, the Swan Theatre Amateur Company.
Anyone who has ever had to deal with fund raising for a charity will instantly recognise the setting for "Bazaar and Rummage" - frantic preparations to get the oddball selection of goods on display and ready for the punters to haggle with about the prices charged. Equally, they will recognise the mix of people tasked with this unenviable job and so it is that we meet Gwenda (Sue Hawkins), Fliss (Poppy Savage), Katrina (Jane Lush), Margaret (Louise Carter) and Bell-Bell (Janet Bright), all of whom suffer from agoraphobia to a greater or lesser extent, except apparently Fliss who is a student there solely to watch how such a disparate group can work together - or not, as the case may be.
As the ladies come together, it is clear that there is a degree of dislike between them, with Gwenda, a keen hands-on Christian and do-gooder, needing to be in charge, Margaret putting the cat amongst the pigeons with her liking for bad language (“Come on you bleeders, move!” she exclaims when her legs refuse to do as required after being wheeled in), Katrina harking back to her past as a singer and her concealed love for Barry Manilow (she is only able to wear the t-shirt for a couple of hours on a Saturday morning when her husband is out doing the shopping) and Bell-Bell, really not appreciating Gwenda's nickname for her which replaced her actual name of Isabel. What all have in common is the fact that they have spent years of rarely if ever leaving the house on their own and usually relying on medication to keep them going.
But there is an unexpected twist to this play - all the actors have to sing! And there are many songs throughout the show involving solos and harmonies, all of which are performed beautifully (as well as playing the part of Fliss, Poppy Savage is also Musical Director). All the actors are long-standing members of STAC and can therefore be relied upon to give great individual and ensemble performances and that is the case here. The script contains lines which place it firmly in its time, such as the fact that one family member is left watching "Tiswas. In colour!". Ah, those were the days!
This is both a sad and very funny play where you actually care for the plight of the ladies, including the young Fliss who reveals her own past, in their struggle to have what the audience would consider a "normal life", and as they leave the stage together, there is a feeling of optimism that things may be about to change.
Continuing the comedic theme is STAC's next production, Quartet by Ronald Harwood, which was made into a film starring Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Billy Connolly - big shoes to fill there! The play runs from March 27th to 30th 2024.
Review by Pete Phillips
The View From The Stalls
