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From the Croydon Advertiser - 30th of March, 2007
Review by Theo Spring
- 4 stars
Two very different one-act plays provided diverse themes. Romance centred on Cyber Friends, written and sensitively directed by John Tough. Using the internet as Cupid's arrow we meet Annie and David - she in London, he in San Diego. Perfectly suited, their tale is almost sabotaged by her sister Clare and his friend Mike - both as outgoing as the other two are retiring. Christine Woodhead made the rather introvert Annie both wistful and sensitive while Jane Bennett created a partying sister Clare, up for almost anything.
Flourishing excellent American accents (!- Ed.) the quiet Mahler-loving David (Roger Bennett) and Mike (Keith Harper) made unlike friends. David's orderly living space is fast disrupted by the cushion-dropping Mike. A clever set transformed ultra-fast from flat to apartment and back and costumes helped reflect the characters.
A clever, if predictable tale, very well told.
The Rivalry was encapsulated in The Fat Lady Sings on Warlingham Green written by David Tristram and directed with an eye to exacting maximum comedy by Jill Maynard. A small (four in fact) drama group meet to discuss their future - if they have one. As the impatient and hot-headed chairman Gordon, Dominic Binefa gesticulated and spluttered as he ruled over Margaret, the committee member made prim and posh by Louise Canfield and platerer Bernard - banana-eating and slow on the uptake - Martin Crampton making the most of his comic lines.
Ali Morris, however, outclassed his comedy as the rather thick secretary Joyce who simply could not grasp item one of the agenda - Apologies. Just who says sorry to whom? The announcement of a production by a new amateur group, far too close for comfort, galvanises the intrepid four into taking evasive action which we follow through a series of meeting, quick costume changes to denote the passing of time and an even faster application of bandages and plaster casts. Slightly slow due to a few hesitant lines the plot reached out to the boundaries of believability, but the characters were well drawn, with appropriate music (such as the theme from The Avengers) adding atmosphere.