Piddle Valley News & Views - Piddle Valley Community Website

‘The Boyfriend’
Hey Chaps, Spiffing Show ! I never fail to be
amazed at the huge pool of acting talent in the Piddle
Valley and its close environs. Once again the Piddle
Valley Players entertained and entranced sell-out
audiences at Piddletrenthide Memorial Hall with their
production of The Boy Friend.
In Sandy Wilson’s musical set around a French Riviera
Finishing School in the Roaring Twenties, Director
Rachel Olley demonstrated again her gift of drawing
out the natural talent from all to create an excellent
show, especially noteworthy for the younger members
performances, particularly Alex Brazier as leading lady
Polly Browne, who showed maturity and ability well
beyond her 15 years, demonstrating comedy and
pathos in equal measure. This combined with a lovely
singing voice that already has depth and emotion,
will surely only get better as she gets older.
Congratulations to Tom Ferrett, her leading man and
love-interest, who played the nice-but-rather-dim Tony
and whose lisping aristocratic accent must have taken
some effort to maintain. Tom’s ability to play his lines
for laughs while also preserving the poignancy of lost
love in his voice was just right and he too has a singing
voice that deserves to be heard more often.
Stalwart PVP, Peter Lindsley, was joined in this production for the first time by his
daughter Catherine, who played French maid Hortense. The acting-talent gene
must run in the family as apparently someone thought she was French and asked
how she was finding life in the Piddle Valley ! Her rendition of ‘Nicer in Nice’ was
one of the show highlights. Peter’s accent never wavered as wealthy American
Bobby van Husen, and, he is not bad at the Charleston!
Musical Director Elizabeth Sweetnam, coaxed some really good performances
from the cast and her piano playing almost non-stop for two hours enhanced the
production. This was a team effort, everyone’s contribution critical to its success.
Chris Walbrin and Stuart Bland’s ‘Carnival Tang’ will remain in the audiences’
minds for time to come! Well done also to younger members of the cast Annabel
Trim, Connor Dooley and Max Gooding and Hattie Olley as Dulcie, whose duet
with Lord Parkinson-Hardman, was another highlight.
Special mention for youngest cast member, Jenna Freak who played Maisie with
confidence, ability and sheer stage presence well beyond her 13 years. She can
sing, dance and hold the audience by the force of her personality and has a talent
that deserves to be nurtured - a leading lady of the future, and not necessarily
restricted to the Piddle Valley. Heather Bland
Photographs © Jonathan Gooding / above : John Parkinson Hardman + Prue
Jakeman; Gill Greenslade, Jenna Freak, Max Gooding + Peter Lindsley