While the rest of us have been enjoying our summer holidays, the Entertaining Angels team has been hard at work rehearsing Richard Everett’s excellent play. Set in the modern garden of a vicarage where the incumbent vicar has just passed away, the play centres on the efforts of the widow’s family to persuade her to move and allow the new vicar to take the reins. Initial humour yields to a mesh of more serious, darker themes, which is where the play gains its power.
Under the excellent direction of Frank Kaye (Director) and Viv Williamson (Assistant Director), our highly talented cast – Sandra Miall, Caroline White, Beth Reynolds, Jo Davis and Mike Higgins – is having a great time getting their heads around the ins and outs of the script, with entrances and exits galore enhancing the early humour and then providing significant shifts of gear as the plot unfolds. Each of the characters also has their own backstory, giving the cast much to ponder over as their individual portrayals develop.
Another challenge for the team is the set. While seemingly simple, two scenes are overlaid on top of each other: there is a garden with a house on one side of the stage and a greenhouse on the other, accentuated by an upstage stream at the front. Both lighting and set designers are having enormous fun exploring the different ways of presenting the scenes.
Sound also has opportunities for some interesting transitions and whilst the costumes are modern day, they are complemented by a host of interesting props.
… All in all, it's a brilliant play beginning to shape up as a unique production. We can’t wait to see it!
Visit our Past Shows page to see more pictures from Entertaining Angels today.
