The Nomads did well to choose Alan Ayckbourn’s Season’s Greetings for their autumn production. The imaginative 1980′s set, one of the theatre’s best in recent times, was open for the almost full houses to appreciate on arrival. Designed by the Director Jeff Wightwick and built by ‘the Tuesday crew’, it was complemented by excellent props, with costumes by Jill Asher ensuring authenticity of the period. The lighting and sound were faultless, the seasonal curtain music setting the right atmosphere. The programme was well designed, full of interesting information about the Cast and Crew, together with details of forthcoming productions.
Jeff Wightwick moved his large cast around the cleverly designed three way split set with commendable ease. It never appeared crowded, although I would have preferred a table that seated nine rather than six, considering that was the number expected for the Christmas Eve dinner. The fact that only six needed to sit at the table was immaterial. However there was little else to criticise. Ayckbourn’s writing is complex, with much interaction of speech which can make a good pace difficult, but the cast were well drilled and generally quick on cue. John Norris gave a particularly good performance as Harvey the grumpy uncle, equalled by Paul Asher as the ineffectual Bernard. Good performances were also given by Helen Teasdale as Belinda, Klaire Atkinson as the believably pregnant Pattie and Mary Parsons as Rachel. Gilly Fick and Richard Williams, making his debut with the Nomads, excelled in the well directed drunken scene, with Richard Peachey as Neville and Andrew Hamel-Cooke as Eddie proving that good performances can also be given when being seen but not heard.
Alan Ayckbourn is thought by many to be the writer of comedies. He does write comedies but Season’s Greetings cannot be considered one of them. It is a play with humour, a totally different concept. There are nine characters whose multi-layered relationships are explored at various times during the two Acts and it is full of home truths, with a good deal of pathos. The scene towards the end of the play where Bernard finally stands up to bully Harvey was particularly impressive. The writing rather than the cast handicapped the pace in the first act, but it built up well in the second with the puppet show being one of the highlights of the play.
Season’s Greetings was an excellent evening’s entertainment, and the Nomads deserved their good audiences. Congratulations to the Director and his Production Team.
Geraldine Guthrie
And from The Surrey Mirror
The Nomad Players, East Horsley Reviewed by Tony Flook
It would be easy to think that the characters in ‘Season’s Greetings’ belong to a dysfunctional family but is it also possible that all Alan Ayckbourn has done is to shine a light (if a somewhat bright one) on the sort of idiosyncrasies that could surface when any group of people is thrown together for several days over Christmas?
Every member of the nine-strong cast in Nomads’ production showed total understanding of their role and, as important, of their relationship with the rest of the team.
John Norris was a scarily recognisable Harvey, the militaristic right-wing extremist with many years in the security business. Paul Asher was equally convincing as Bernard, a bumbling, inept doctor with his penchant for putting on abysmal puppet shows.
Gilly Fick never went over-the-top in her portrayal of drink laden, lethal cook, Phyllis.
Andrew Hamel-Cooke gave a sympathetically understated interpretation of semi-detached loser, Eddie.
Only Clive, the outsider, played by Richard Williams, seemed totally well balanced but even he lost his cool when he and Belinda, the hostess (Helen Teasdale) became passionate, with hilarious results.
One female actor could be faulted for speaking too much on one level and another for under-projection but dialogue between all the players overlapped perfectly to sound spontaneous. Everyone stayed fully in character even when the action switched away from them.
Director, Jeff Wightwick’s set design made full use of the stage to create three separate rooms, each with its own style by way of decoration and furniture.
Charles Hope’s lighting impeccably followed every incident around the house.
Having seen a production as well staged as this, it seems a shame that ‘Season’s Greetings’ is so rarely seen and then only at Christmas.