Written By
Willy Russell
Where and When
5th – 8th April 1995 @ The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne
The Plot
This wickedly observant comedy by the author of Educating Rita finds Dennis on the eve of his thirty-fifth birthday, making a last-ditch attempt to break away from the confines of his middle-class, housing-estate existence. Reaching breaking point at his birthday party he packs a rucksack to make his escape but everyone wants to accompany him and he sinks down in front of the television, defeated. But there’s always next year … and the year after …
Ticket Information
Cast
- Dennis Cain – Richard Neal
- Pauline Cain – Jan Stevenson
- Roger Fuller – Peter Timplerley
- Jane Fuller – Shirley Ilott
Creative Team
- Director – Barbara Trebilco
- Stage Manager – Jenny Tempier
- Scenery Master – Bob Feltham
- Set Construction – Bob Feltham, Brian Curry, Philip Evans and Tony Feltham
- Backcloths – Dave Brinicombe
- ASM – Pam Feltham
- Properties – Eileen Dunnachie and Mary Hague
- Lighting – Mark Lockyear and Nick Watkins
- Sound – Mark Lockyer and Ann Pond
- Wardrobe – The Company
- Make-up – Pam Feltham
Gallery
Reviews
Hero who’s running scared
Mid-life crisis comes no bigger or funnier than when they spring from the brilliant pen of Willy Russell.
In the insular world of a new housing estate, Dennis Cain (an excellent performance by Richard Neal) is celebrating his 35th birthday with a dinner party organised by his wife Pauline (Jan Stevenson).
Dennis is not a happy man. Life has not fulfilled its promise and he wants to escapeand hitch a lift to the world outside the estate. The trouble is that Pauline has put mothballs in his rucksack. His upwardly mobile friends, Roger and Jane Fuller (Peter Timperley and Shirley Ilott) seem to have their lives sorted out, and pualine seems quite content. In fact their only real worry seems to be the local nutcase who is decapitating gnomes, arming Venus de Milo statues and painting vegetables to resemble body parts. Truth will out eventually, and the others soon find their own reasons for accompanying Dennis, who decides to put his rucksack away and try again next year.
Director Barabara Trebilco has done an excellent job with this production, which was well-paced throughout and great fun to watch.
Programme
