‘Trial by Jury’ accompanied by two comedies

Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Trial by Jury’ accompanied by two comedies, ‘How to Make Your Theatre Pay’ and ‘Dinner for One’. Three shows for the price of one at Phoenix Theatre, within the Hamilton Hill Memorial Hall, corner of Rockingham Road and Carrington Street, Hamilton Hill.  The evening performances are at 8.00 pm until the 19^th May, with matinees on the 12^th and 20^th May at 2.00 pm.

Dinner for One (also known as ‘The 90th Birthday’) is an 80-years old cult classic, the skit being written by an Englishman, Lauri Wylie. Directed by Terry Winter. (Running time, 18-minutes).

This internationally famous comedy was brought to life in the 60s, by Grimsby born Freddie Frinton. The illegitimate child of a seamstress, Freddie was brought up by foster parents. Frinton, a teetotaller, first performed the sketch ‘Dinner for One’ in 1945 at Blackpool, but because he had to pay a royalty every time he performed the sketch, he wisely bought the rights in the 1950s. He died at the early age of 59.

This comedy sketch went on to become the most frequently repeated TV programme ever (the Guinness Book of Records).

          James, the butler (Terry Winter) sets the table, bangs the dinner gong and ushers ‘her ladyship’, Miss Sophie (Lorraine Page) to her seat, ready for her 90^th birthday meal. As happens every year, the four invited guests do not appear and so James is obliged to empty their glasses after each course, with disastrous consequences.Admirable props and costumes reflected the era and the opulence of the household. There is nothing worse in the theatre than an actor pretending to be drunk, thankfully Terry was superb, and he was wonderfully contrasted by petite Lorraine acting his mistress. Most enjoyable fun.

How to Make Your Theatre Pay an ionesco satire by David Henry Wilson. Directed by Barry Page. (30-minutes).

Wilson was born in London and educated at Cambridge. He lived in France and then worked in Ghana for four years. He became a lecturer at Cologne University. In 1967, he was appointed Vice Chancellor at Konstanz University where he founded the university theatre. He has retired to Somerset. 

          Rouse (Willy Smeets), a Council official, full of his own self-importance, with a pedantic mind and love of red tape makes a business call to a council-owned town theatre, that doesn’t seem to be making a profit. The theatre administrator, Mike Pemberton-Hawkesley (Adam Mettner) is passionate about show business, but Rouse will have none of it, his aim is to close the building and then find an economic use for it. When the beautiful and bold Mavis Dinwiddy (Suzanne Mettner) appears on the scene can she save the day?

This play runs straight in from the end of ‘Dinner for One’, with Mike acting as the stage manager. This causes a little confusion that becomes compounded by the arrival of Rouse, who speaks in a multitude of malapropisms and words of his own invention. After a couple of minutes the audience caught onto the situation and the fun started. The humour gathered more pace with the arrival of Mavis. A tricky script for Willie, but delivered with confidence and hilarity.

 ‘Trial by Jury’ with by music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert – Directed by Barry Page. (43-minutes).

Based on an 1868 parody, Gilbert could not get anyone to produce his short musical. On advice from the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte, he collaborated with Sullivan; the result was fourteen musical numbers and ‘probably the most successful British one-act operetta of all time’. 

        Lying asleep on a bench, with a booze bottle in her hand, is a jury member (Pam Brookes). Her fellow jury colleagues (Carole Longden, Lisa Bruce, Betty Lancaster and Ruth Vertigan) file into the Court. On the opposite bench are the men of the jury (Tim Viljoen, Nicholas Gribble, Paul van Bilsen, Brian Hills and Ray Vaughan). The usher (David Hardie) bangs his staff on the floor, the Judge (Willie Smeets) in his scarlet robes enters, and he is there today to hear the pleas of a deserted woman, abandoned at the altar.
       The Defendant, a dapper young man, Edwin (William Gregg) sweeps into the court room and immediately tries to befriend the jury, quickly followed by the attempted seduction of the three beautiful bridesmaids (Allira Humberstone, Tlalit Orr and Jenny Trestrail). With the arrival of the beautiful bride, Angelina (Angelique Both) still dressed in her white wedding gown, the lecherous judge’s eye light up.
       The bride’s Counsel (Michael Vertigan) puts forward his client’s case, but what will the Jury Foreman (Rob Martin) announce as the verdict?

Being a small local production I wasn’t expecting a lot from this operetta, however the perfectly recorded piano accompaniment (Shirley White) was lively, and the singing from the leads being of a professional standard. Angelique has a divine voice, thanks to her Conservatorium and NIDA training.

The enunciation was clear, although I must make my plea once again – if the sound man in the Bio box cannot hear the singers’ words clearly then turn down the accompaniment! The fader may have to be adjusted for every number, and even slightly with for each singer within a number. For this show the music was set with an on-off switch, it isn’t fair to the singers.

The direction was lively and the songs filled with fun and action, congratulations to director Barry Page with his 60 years in the theatre, especially musicals and comedies, and to his musical director, Michael Vertigan. The lighting, especially in the last production, was very cleverly conceived and well operated (Don Allan and Steve Watson).

100 minutes of fun for all of the family.