There has to be huge admiration for any amateur brave enough to get up and perform in front of an audience. But the Veryan Players seem to have those amateurs in abundance.
Just four months after they were dressed up in top hats and tails and high kicking their way across the stage in Stepping Out, they were taking on the good old fashioned bedroom swapping farce ‘Anyone for Breakfast’. And they would have made Brian Rix – the master of farce – proud.
It all starts very simply when Shirley lends friend Jane her house for an extra-marital fling.
Life becomes complicated when Shirley’s husband (who’s supposed to be away on a business trip) returns home with his girlfriend, a German air hostess, after their flight is cancelled.
Jane’s husband adds to the hilarity and the plot becomes increasingly far fetched as he turns up to meet Shirley thinking Jane ia at a school reunion.
Doors slam, and the tension mounts as the lovers disappear and reappear narrowly avoiding discovery. Amid the confusion there has to be some recognition for the prompt who, tucked away at the side of the stage, was kept busy keeping the cast across the challenging script.
With just six performers there was nowhere to hide. And this production was made even more challenging as timing and keeping track of who should be where when was paramount. No easy task with six entrances and exits and four bedrooms!
The whole thing wouldn’t happen without the support of the backroom team – set builders, tech team, front of house staff.
The show won high praise from audiences. “Superb night out.” “Congratulations everyone.” “Brilliant.” Once again audiences left Veryan Parish Hall with smiles on their faces.
Congratulations to everyone involved. Let’s see what the Veryan Players come up with next.
Anyone for Breakfast, written by Derek Benfield, was produced and directed by Graham Webb.
Photographs courtesy of Veryan Players. This amateur production was presented by special arrangement with concord Theatricals Ltd on hehave of Samuel French Ltd – www.concordtheatricals.co.uk
If you fancy treading the boards or helping out behind the scenes the Veryan Players are always looking for extra help and you would be made very welcome. If you want to know more check out their website.