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WITH their two-act comedy, Local Affairs, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday last week Faringdon
Community, Dramatic Society proved that, when it comes to choosing a script and presenting a,
polished performance, they've got it down to a fine art.
Local Affairs, a brilliantly conceived Aykbourn-type comedy, was peppered with countless one-liners. That, and the deadpan delivery
by a fine cast, meant a superb evening's entertainment.
The set represented three different houses on a new 12-unit development. They also served at times as one house for three sets of
neighbours.
Making his Faringdon debut was a young Northerner, Paul Grassham, who is living locally while on a
course. As Keith, he partnered pert and pretty. Gail Mander (Susan). They'd sent their twins off to
grandmother.
Opposite live Charles and Norma, a splendid pair of neurotics - she plugged into her
newly-created pond and its weeping willow while he, a doctor, searched vainly for a nervous breakdown. Mike Durham (Charles)
preparing for a fancy-dress party appeared briefly as a DIY Batman; with a chair-leg strung at right-angles to his knees |
as Long John Silver,
and settled for the rest of the evening's events in drag. He claimed to be Marlene Dietrich - and de spite, his powerful bulk, somehow managed to remind one of a worried
gerbil in a brick out-house. Carole Tappenden breezed merrily through her role as his wife and mistress of the acid tongue.
The third neighbours were the 'divine David' (Alan Taylor) and his wife Hilary
(Sandra Holland) - also perfectly matched in the sniping wars.
Their unique main bone of contention was David's doting Mum, who managed to infiltrate, everybody's lives. This role brought back Nancy Reeves in
scintilla ting form as a querulous old biddy.
Finally, her son Tim Reeves, laid-back as an anaesthetist colleague of Dr Charles. He turned up
looking, enchanting as The Man in the White Suit and large, floppy fedora for the still debatable fancy-dress party and was eventually
diverted by Keith and Susan's visitor Katy (Brenda Keith-Walker) who was just simply
"too, too super."
Producer Carolyn Taylor has every reason to he proud of this troupe and her
back stage helpers.
IVY CURZON
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