First Rate Entertainment from a Village Amateur Theatre Company

Hilary Rodwell and Abbie Croker. Photo by Tim Greenway.

Blue Suede Shoes and Pigeon Syndrome performed by the Kineton Amateur Dramatic Society [KADS], 13 July 2024.

Review by Charles Essex.

Kineton Village Hall was bursting at the seams for KADS performance of two one act plays.  Blue Suede Shoes shines the spotlight on to the physical and mental decline in old age but especially the restrictions to one’s horizons.  Grace [Hilary Rodwell] was raging against the dying of the light.  Hilary captured Grace’s cynicism with her acerbic observations and comments about life in the care home.  What life?  Why give up smoking and drinking to live a longer life …with no smoking or drinking?

She is joined in the residents’ lounge by Lily [Robert Hatcher].  Robert gave an excellent Hinge and Bracket portrayal of prim and proper Lily.  Pansy [Abbie Croker] the ingenue care assistant, was obviously being taken advantage of by her fiancé Derek [Huntley Thawe].  Grace and Lily persuade Pansy to let them kidnap her with the ransom demand being that Derek must marry her – and a bottle of gin and a budgerigar for Grace and Lily, respectively.

Robert Hatcher and Hilary Rodwell. Photo by Tim Greenway.

Huntley gave Derek an agitated air because he was in fact already married and he fled in disgrace.  All was not lost as the police officer Frank [Kyle Lawson] was impressed with Pansy’s calmness and bravery throughout the kidnap and the audience could see that relationship would blossom.  Unfortunately, Gace and Lily had to settle for a cup of tea – yet another of the penalties of old age. 

After the interval Ben Keyser directed his own play Pigeon Syndrome.  This very clever play was both comical and poignant.  Animal-lover Christine [Chris Cherry] was annoyed with her husband Dave [Dave Candy] for his insensitivity towards wildlife but when he rescues a pigeon his ‘luck’ changes.  Pigeons came and went as Dave tried to recreate the bird rescue with more contrived accidents.  Laughter grew at his fumbling efforts with each successive attempt until Christine caught him in the act.

In a touching explanation, Dave revealed that he loved Christine and longed to rekindle her love for him and thought that him demonstrating care for animals would do that.  Dave and Chris gave the heartfelt conversation the right amount of tenderness as they voiced their mutual love that had not been expressed for some time in the mundaneness of daily married life.

Huntley Thawe and Kyle Lawson. Photo by Tim Greenway.

This reviewer can report that no pigeons were hurt in the making of this play – because there were no actual pigeons.  Charlotte Ledger was superb on stage with very original visual and auditory special effects which helped us to picture the birds. 

Once again KADS punched above their weight as a village amateur theatre company, giving first rate entertainment and value for money.

See what’s up next: https://kads.org.uk/