From the Hayling Islander, www.haylingtoday.co.uk
By Vic Pierce Jones
Published Date: 03 July 2007
A dramatic high-wire act was staged at Hayling's Station Theatre during HIADS' production of 'Bolt from the Blue'.
David Tristram's play began with cool Edward Jones repairing a lightning-struck pylon the day before his 40th birthday.
Literally keeping up with slightly balding Jones was John Blackwell in the part. His nonchalance ended with a bang when the incredible occurred: lightning struck twice!
In a paroxysm of stage effects John plunged earthwards or rather dungwards for the pylon was situated beside a very ripe manure heap. It was so smelly that no one rushed to the rescue, certainly not to give him the kiss of life, especially the frenzied farmer, colourfully played by John Killmister to whom the muck was money and the man a nuisance.
Eventually paramedics, labelled Paranoid and Paralytic (Daren Cooper and Andy Wharton) extricated him out of the ordure.
According to subliminally senile Dr Peter Rogers, earnestly acted by Alan Hoad, Edward's only injury was a missing eyebrow, his toasted ham sandwich was classed as collateral.
Edward resumed life with his wilting wife, played with marital unconcern by Mandy Wood, until some time later he discovered long-term effects of his trauma. His minimal baldness was reversing.
In itself this was not a calamity, it must be said, but Edward also felt there were worrying side effects of a psychological nature.
His new GP, Marian Crack, pored over his pate with mild interest. A return visit to Doctor Rogers, now reclusively retired, revealed more about topiary than trichology.
In short, Edward needed a real quack, in this case Malcolm Bain as specialist Ted Nugent. He didn't have a hair on his head, so at least he knew the way of it though not necessarily the way out of it.
Malcolm has a dynamic stage presence with northern nuances, which make one wonder whether one is in for a Thespian performance or the Highland fling.
In this story, his rumbustious style was ideal for his was a convoluted cure featuring cross-dressing, Freudian undercurrents (of course) in a fog of post-modernist muddle and affected originality.
At this stage the show was banging its head on surreal surmises. If one's body is going into reverse and hair is restoring, presumably other youthful functions are reasserting themselves. And what about the brain? Would memories be erased or would they persist, to drive one mad? Poor Edward found it especially complicating when he fell in with Sarah Appleby, a lady with a similar problem. Actually 80 years old, she had reversed into her years of charm and allure but there was definitely a screw loose for she had the off-putting hangover of walking an invisible dog. Sarah's plight was played with refreshing style by neat and sunny Sue Finn.
Helping with much needed credibility were Janet Turley as the receptionist and Vince Bailey, reporter. Carl Wood peered, rather than appeared, as mere male Martin, Mary's couch potato brother.
The dialogue was good and the on-stage effects excellent.
This performance lost some of its zest towards the middle, perhaps because the actors realised the story, though novel, was a bit thin.
The play was enjoyably presented in the classical Greek form, with narrators as a chorus, on opposing wings of the stage, to infill the action. These were Laurie Noble and Yvonne Hawley proclaiming with genial aplomb.
To this, Director Martin Stevens introduced a screened interval using again HIADS' latest arresting acquisition.
This brings the dimensions of cinematic montage to the traditional scenario. Like a television newsreel, it can propel the audience from one end of the earth to the other at the touch of a director's laptop. Why watch television at home, you might ask, when you can see it live on stage?
I can visualize a time when the way to the StationTheatre will lie over the bodies of apoplectic purists demanding on-stage acting, pure and simple.
However in this case the screen sequence slotted in well. The newsreaders were June and Laurie Noble. They seemed rather more fresh and communicative than some of the stale talking heads who rabbit on about happenings from the stilted studios of BBC and ITV.
Perhaps HIADS' Station Theatre is timetabled to become the first live performance playstation theatre! I think shrewd and resourceful director Martin Stevens is just the man to direct in this crossover mode. Did I hear a whisper about making films?