Once More With Feeling!

By Peter Clemson and John Bowness

Performed: March 2009

Review by Dave Stacey:-

ONCE MORE WITH FEELING SHINES

Scenes from 18 past productions and a 'trailer' for the next show made for a wonderfully varied mix in Burton Little Theatre Company's celebration of its 25th anniversary at the Brewhouse arts centre this week.

Tragedy, comedy and many surprises kept evrybody happy on the opening night of this entertaining pot pourri.

Under the title, Once More with Feeling, the programme was devised by Peter Clemson, directed by John Bowness and dedicated to revered veteran and founder member, the late Barbara Hicken.

Two items were included as a special tribute to her. One was a scene from The Importance of Being Earnest with Bethan Waite as a formidable Lady Bracknell. The other was one of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads monologues featuring Jane German, herself a founder member.

The show also honoured Beryl Reid, honorary patron of the company from 1984 until her death in 1996.

An outstanding item was a version of the popular radio show 'Round the Horne' with Mike Mear filling the shoes of Kenneth Horne. Peter Clemson as Kenneth Williams performed one of those folk songs for which Williams will always be remembered.

Craig Atkinson as the master shoe salesman, crushed by events when his one-time employee takes over the business, was superb in Hobson's Choice. Leon Ratcliffe as a tough defence barrister in The Winslow Boy was terrific.

A hit with the women in the audience was Priestley's When We Are Married, with Phil Robinson as the pompous, self-centred Albert Parker who discovers after 25 years that his marriage was not properly legal, and Kay St Clair as his long-suffering 'wife'.

Peter Clemson impressed with a moving rendition of the 1936 abdication speech of King Edward VIII in Crown Matrimonial. Sam Pearson and Sonja Wardle were great in an excerpt from Tom's Midnight Garden.

The preview item was from the Les Miserables School Edition which the Little Theatre junior section will present next month.