Many congratulations to everyone involved in delivering this hilarious and popular comedy play within a play at the start of April 2025. The full and enthusiastic audiences and excellent reviews, including those from the press and from NODA, reflect the very high standard to which Wargrave Theatre aspires in all its productions.
We are most grateful for the review by Joe Haynes, which is reproduced below, and for the reviews by the Henley Standard and by Cate Naylor from NODA London Region, which can be viewed by clicking on the relevant link.
You can also see below a selection of David Williams’ excellent photographs, for which many thanks as well.
A BUNCH OF AMATEURS – REVIEW BY JOE HAYNES
A fading Hollywood Star, anxious to revive his flagging career, is sent by his agent to play Lear at Stratford. He arrives in the UK, only to discover that it is not Stratford-on-Avon but the small village of Stratford in Suffolk, performing with the local struggling Amateur Dramatic Society, the Stratford Players.
Written by the satirist and editor of Private Eye, Ian Hislop and the comedy scriptwriter, Nick Newman, the play could be about any local Am Dram anywhere in the UK. The writers capture the personalities and characters to be found in every drama group. Wargrave Theatre typifies the courage and hard work associated with putting on a play especially a full production of one of the great Shakespeare tragedies.
Congratulations to director Ann Roberts for giving a capacity audience an insight into the very real trials, tribulations and occasional inflated egos of a disparate bunch of amateurs. Celia Reinbolt played the director Dorothy Nettle perfectly. Utterly determined to stage King Lear, with or without a full cast, she epitomised the amateur theatre’s single-minded determination that the play must go on. However, she had an excellent cast with no weak parts.
Graham Wheal as the aging Hollywood matinee idol, Jefferson Steel portrayed all the stereotypical tantrums and neediness with a near-perfect Californian accent. From wanting a complete rewrite of King Lear to demanding a personal trainer and his own limo. Of course, he eventually capitulated to the director’s vision and Shakespeare’s timeless words and characters.
Mike Watt gave a pitch-perfect performance as Nigel Dewbury, the pompous, yet typical am-dram performer who has learnt all Lear’s lines and expects to be offered the role. He attempts every possible subterfuge to get rid of Jefferson Steel but accepts his eventual role as Kent with good grace. It is often a minor character that the audience best remembers and Jasper Holmes as Dennis Dobbins: set builder and painter, stage manager and, when necessary, reluctant actor whose main aim is to ‘get out of the house’. Dennis is the stalwart of all amateur drama groups. He gave a unique interpretation of Gloucester having his eyes taken out with a fork. The eyes were cunningly replaced by pickled onions which he then ate to keep the stage clear.
Mary Plunkett, the landlady tasked with looking after Jefferson, well played by Grace Tye, is clearly besotted by him but unable to provide for his breakfast requirements of guava juice, egg-white frittata with broccolini. Victoria Dunne as Lauren Bell, the trophy wife of the local brewer who is providing sponsorship for the production, proved to be multitalented, providing physio treatment to Jefferson who had sprained his back carrying Cordelia, and then went on to take on the part of Goneril in the play. The massage and the acting were both excellent.
The arrival of Jefferson’s spoilt daughter Jessica, realistically played by Rhianna Inman, was further evidence of the vacuous lives of Hollywood stars and their families. Nevertheless, her performance as Cordelia with Jefferson’s Lear, was genuinely moving.
The supporting cast of Conor and Aiden Black, Alex Limia and Cath Evans portraying clamouring photographers, journalists and crew members were spot on ensuring good continuity.
As always Sheila Williams’ set design captured the feel of a theatre on its’ last legs, which, with few tweaks became the setting for King Lear. The Sound Effects and Lighting were operated seamlessly by Peter Knowles and David Williams respectively adding greatly to the changing tempo of the play.
I am now looking forward to Wargrave Theatre’s production of King Lear!
Joe Haynes
To read the Henley Standard review by Susan Creed click here.
To read Cate Naylor’s NODA report click here.
