Season's Greetings - November 2018

Synopsis

Season’s Greetings by Alan Ayckbourn proved to be one of the most successful Parlour Players productions of recent times.  Over 400 tickets were sold for the three performances which is a record as far as our statistics show.  Season’s Greetings marked the directorial debut of Joe Crisfield who has acted many times for the Parlour Players as well as for The Pantoloons and the Miller Centre.   He assembled a very strong cast, and presided over a brilliant success, which was highly acclaimed in the feedback received from the audience.

The action is set in the home of the Bunkers at Christmas time in the 1980’s.  Neville Bunker (Ian Mess) and Belinda (Claire Connery) play host to a variety of guests including the psychotic Uncle Harvey (Ron White), Neville’s sister, the alcoholic Phyllis (Tamsin Reeve) and her failed doctor husband Bernard (Simon Vines), and Belinda’s sister Rachel (Sue Rider).  Also invited are Neville’s former business associate Eddie (Richard Haslam) and his pregnant wife Pattie (Becky Crisfield), as well as a less-than-well-known author, Clive Morris (Michael Cooke), who finds himself involved romantically with both Belinda and Rachel!

All Belinda wants is a hassle-free Christmas for the benefit of the children (who we never see!) but what with lazy partners, attractive strangers and the Three Little Pigs (Bernard’s hilarious and chaotic puppet show), nothing really goes to plan.  Rachel, who has invited Clive in the first place, can’t make up her mind whether she wants him or not, whilst Belinda definitely does, but their attempted seduction at 1.30 am under the Christmas tree sets off some noisy presents and brings the household down to find them in flagrante delicto!   Then Harvey, suspecting Clive of being a looter, shoots him, and the ever-inefficient Dr Bernard pronounces him dead, only to have him recover a few minutes later, to his undying shame!

Cast

Neville Bunker - Ian Mess

Belinda - Claire Connery

Uncle Harvey - Ron White

Phyllis - Tamsin Reeve

Bernard - Simon Vines

Rachel - Sue Rider

Eddie - Richard Haslam

Pattie - Becky Crisfield

Clive Morris - Michael Cooke

Crew

Director - Joe Crisfield

Production Manager - Rick Roberts

Stage Manager - Ros Tunbridge

Assistant Stage Manager - Neil Tunbridge

Props - Phil Wright

Technical Director - Alistair Kennard

Set Design - Tony Dent

Set Construction - Alistair Kennard, Phil Rathbone, Paul Gregory, Phil Wright, Ian Mess

Wardrobe - Linda Currion & Sue Kennard

Lighting - Alistair Kennard

Sound - Andy Nicholson & Jim Gibbons

Make-up - Madeline Reeve

Prompt - Theo Spring & Hazel Mason

Front of House Manager - Rosemary Stern

Publicity - Linda Currion

Programme Editor - Roger Brimble

Photography - Theo Spring

Bar Manager - Ian Spring

Box Office - Janet Brimble & Rick Roberts