The May Production
"Hayfever" by Noel Coward.
Directed by Geraldine Davies. Cast
Photographs
SIMON BLISS
Damian Healy
SOREL BLISS
Sarah Green
JUDITH BLISS
Clare Boland
DAVID BLISS
Ralph Williams
SANDY TYREL
Lee Edwards
MYRA ARUNDEL
Janet Francis-Jones
RICHARD GREATHAM
Jonathan Lloyd-Davies
JACKIE CORYTON
Amy Hall
CLARA
Joan Powell
Review
Hay Fever
Neath Little Theatre, Westernmoor Road, Neath
Monday, May 19
Neath Little Theatre is on a roll at the moment, having scooped
no less than four awards at the annual Glamorgan Drama League
Awards ceremony: Best Play(The Glass Menagerie), Best Actor
(Paul Rees), Best Actress(Sarah Green)and Best Presentation(The
Unexpected Guest).
This smartly executed production of the classic Noël Coward
comedy - directed by Geraldine Davies and featuring a nine-strong
cast, all of whom seize the opportunity to play to their strengths -
sees the company building on its recent success, breathing life
into a play that might in less skilful hands have come across as
stilted and dated.
Clare Boland gives a towering performance as Judith Bliss, who -
together with her novelist husband David(Ralph Williams) - lives
a life of Bohemian eccentricity, aided and abetted in their
unconventional lifestyle by daughter Sorel(Sarah Green)and
son Simon(Damien Healy). Their antics are a constant source of
weariness to deadpan housekeeper/maid Clara(Joan Powell).
The arrival of house guests Myra(Janet Francis-Jones, Richard
(Jonathan Lloyd-Davies), Jackie(Amy Hall)and Sandy(Lee Edwards)
provides the family with the perfect excuse to indulge their
penchant for fantasy-driven mischief, and the ensuing shenanigans
had the opening night audience in fits of laughter from beginning
to end.
The great thing about this production is that the cast are clearly
having fun, and they manage to convey this brilliantly. The set
and costumes are eye-catching and contribute to the sense of
period.
Pure bliss - no pun intended - and a fine addition to NLT's impressive
canon of work, Hay Fever's run at the company's Westernmoor Road
headquarters ends on Saturday.
Graham Williams
Publicity photographs
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