Kintbury revue good fun from start to finish

Kintbury Players' 07 Revue, at the Coronation Hall, Kintbury, from Thursday, November 29 to Saturday, December 1

You might think that the theatrical revue format had long been assigned to the past, but Kintbury Players dragged it live and kicking into the 21st century last week.

There was an excellent choice of sketches, it is not easy to find good material, and these included offerings from Victoria Wood, Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese and the At Last the 1948 Show, to name but a few. All were given the players' very own treatment and it was such good fun from start to finish.

The talented company, under the direction of Chris Trigwell, were well cast in their various roles to deliver excellent entertainment, opening with the cast singing Cabaret.

We were soon whisked into a series of well-delivered sketches, all with humour to the fore. Some of my favourites were The Waitress, The Good Old Days and Caradoc, an awful but hilarious magic act, with Chris Trigwell displaying a decidedly dodgy French accent, coupled with fine comedy from Rosemary Trigwell as his gauche assistant. Act one closed with a rousing and irreverent song lampooning the Scouting movement, Be Prepared.

A good amount of the second half was taken up with Alan Ayckbourn's Between Mouthfuls, directed by Carole Balfour and set in a restaurant, with Tony Hillit's hilarious laconic waiter hovering between Chris Trigwell, Judith Nye, Graeme Coulam and Michelle Trigwell, the nightmare diners. Here the focus switched from table to table as the unsavoury but comic tale unfolded.

Another gem was Brief Encounter, a send up of Noel Coward's original and skilfully delivered.

Everything was linked with well chosen recorded music, and the musical offering My Favourite Things (with new words) was a delightful finale.

All in all, a super evening, with a great sense of community and super entertainment, which was reflected in the hugely appreciative reaction from the audience.

TREVOR DOBSON