Written By
Alan Melville
Where and When
25th – 27th October 1984 @ The Allendale Centre, Wimborne
The Plot
Trainee devil, Nicholas has been sent to Monte Carlo to lure souls for the Powers That Be. At the Hotel Splendide he meets another (higher level) trainee Virginia. their supervisor keeps popping up to keep an eye on them and he seduces Virginia. there is a newly wed couple at the hotel. Nicholas is having success in ensnaring the wife and Virginia the husband – but at the last minute it all falls through. the Powers That Be are not please and Nicholas and Virginia are grounded. they must stay on Earth for ever – but as they are now very fond of each other – this might not be a bad thing for them.
Cast
- The Principal – Hugh Brasnett
- The Secretary – June Goulbourn
- Nicholas – Spencer Hare
- The Barman – Jim Ruegg
- Clair – David Green
- Bibs – Pam Feltham
- Muriel – Jan Stevenson
- The Girl – Juliet Fry
- The Waiter – David Green
- Philip – Tony Feltham
- Anne – Sarah Wartnaby
- The Gambler – Margaret Pope
- Virginia – Carolyn Woodward
- Charwoman / Salvationist – Raymonde Grenville
- The Companion – Jim Ruegg
Creative Team
- Director – Joe Brooks
- Stage Manager – Joyce Eidmans
- Properties – Rachel Dryden
- Prompt – Christina Barnes
- Front of House – Daphne Young
- Publicity – Carolyn Woodward
- Set Design – Joyce Eidmans, Thelma Dryden, Muriel Brooks and Gordon Eidmans
- Lighting and Sound – Roger Grenville and Andrew Thomas
Photos
Reviews
The Wimborne Drama Club usually chooses to do a thriller or dramatic play at this time of the year but this time decided to reverse the proceedings and put on a comedy instead.
The play they chose was Alan Melville’s Devil May Care and the reason for doing comedy was to give us a lift when their appeared to be so much doom and gloom around. However the proceedings did take some time to get going and the welcome lift was a little long in coming, but at the end of the day it was a pretty good show and well received at the Allendale Centre on three nights.
The first scene however was decidedly ponderous and one that could have practically been done in half the time. Hugh Brasnett struggled as the principal of the school for devils and as his last two roles had been as a corpse, one wondered if he had fully been brought back to life.
Spencer Hare, by now quite an old hand with the drama club, could have been just a little more mischievious as the probationary devil and tended to under play his part rather than ham it up a bit. It was good to see David Green back on the stage after being in charge of production for the last couple of times and he can always be relied on. He took two roles this time as the police inspector and the waiter and his pidgeon-English was quite stylish.
Margaret Pope brought a nice breath of fresh air into the proceedings when things had become a little soporific and Carolyn Woodward as the probationary angel was her usual efficient self. It would have been better if somehow she and Spencer Hare could have changed roles. He was far more angelic than she was. It was as if they had changed schools!
For the first time for some years pupills of Queen Elizabeth School took part and Sarah Wartnaby as the young newly-wed was very good indeed. She has dramatic ambitions for a future career and if this show has anything to go by she should do well. She didn’t waste a line; her timing was excellent and she brought a liveliness to the play. Also we at the back had no difficulty hearing her. She was partnered by Tony Feltham in the production and he too performed well.
Other roles were taken by Jim Ruegg, Pam Feltham, June Goulbourn, Jan Stevenson, Juliet Fry and Raymonde Grenville with Joe Brooks as producer.
Behind the scenes were Rachel Dryden, Christina Barnes, Daphne Young, Thelma Dryden, Muriel Brooks, Gordon Eidmans, Roger Grenville and Andrew Thomas. Stage Manager was Joyce Eidmans.
Programme
