2008 Reviews

Semi-Detached, review by Katie Bond, This is Wiltshire.co.uk, November 2008

Semi-Detached, the latest offering from the Clarendon Players, is a timeless comedy written by David Turner in the 1960s, touching on both universal and timeless themes. The play is set in the living room of the aptly named Midway family one Sunday morning in Spring, and revolves around Fred Midway (played by Glenn Chapman) and his family’s constant struggle with class and money. In his opinion, his past success in selling insurances has made his family members of the burgeoning middle class, but chaos ensues when daughters Eileen (Wendy Mitchell) and Avril (Sally Hopkins) become entwined in divorce battles and hellish relationships. Over conscious of what the neighbours might think, Fred and trusting wife Hilda (Karen Smith) will stretch to anything to gain the social status they crave, even at the expense of their children’s happiness. The consequences are hilarious. Glenn Chapman’s portrayal of Mr Midway is flawless, and combined with son Tom’s (Mark Richardson) witty remarks, the couple’s relationship drew plenty of laughter from the enthusiastic audience. Every aspect of last week’s production, from the impressive yet simple set, to the spot-on timing and quality acting was first class. If pushed for a criticism, the length of the play (about two and a half hours) could have been cut by about 20 minutes, but nevertheless a professional production.

Chase Me Up Farndale Avenue s'il vous plait, review by Stella Taylor in Swindon Advertiser July 2008

The Clarendon Players brought hilarity to Wootton Bassett's Memorial Hall, in Chase Me Up Farndale Avenue, s'il vous plait, co-directed by Paula Clifford and Jeremy Goode. It was set in an apartment house in the Champs-Elysees. The play within a play was staged by the wildly enthusiastic, thoroughly incompetent members of the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society, to entertain a party of French visitors from their twin town. Last minute changes of cast, characters with confusingly similar surnames, and a set in which doors were upside down or at the wrong level, resulted in mayhem. Even the sound and lighting effects were wonderfully disastrous, and the production evoked gales of laughter. Doreen Hewer, excellent as Mrs Phoebe Reece, the Farndale ladies' indomitable chairperson, who strove valiantly to maintain control, also played Frank and Mary Carratt. Karen Smith gave a brilliant performance as Felicity Cheshire, whose triple roles were Fifi the maid, Jojo and Constance Barrett. Her sequences with the Hoover were superb. Wendy Mitchell was memorable as the temperamental, Thelma Greenwood, who played Brigitte Charot, Jack and Norah Garrett, and was madly jealous over alleged hanky panky in the lighting box. Farndale's hapless Malcolm was played by Glenn Chapman; Diane Chew was Joyce. Alec Smith as Gordon Pugh, played George Barrett and Virginia Parrot. Sally Hopkins was Minnie Robinson, a nervous last-minute stand-in for two male roles, Roger Parrot and Jacques Charot - frantic when contracts (actually scripts) were torn up. An ingeniously designed, double ended programme, added to the fun.