Waterside Theatre Company - Archive - 2207

extract from The Waterside Herald June 2007

Galloping to Victory
Theatre Review by Janice Taylor

Waterside Thearte Company bought a glimpse of midsummer sunshine to Holbury with their delightful production of 'Ladies Day', set at York Racecourse for Royal Ascot.
The four fish factory workers (Becky Coultas, Angela Sutherland, Helen Hodrien and Emma Howes) who treat themselves to a day at the races, were wonderfully portrayed, each one having a very individual character, and each one having their own particular hang-ups and secrets. It was a really fun production with some beautifully acted moments of real poignancy - and, I confess, I had a tear in my eye on one occasion. We laughed with them, sympathised with them, felt sorry for them and rejoiced with them. Performing opposite these four accomplished actresses, Stuart Collins had the task of playing six different characters, each one with a different accent and a different personality - quite a tour-de-force which he pulled off marvellously.
Simple, but versatile set, very effective lighing, good costumes and excellence direction by John Yapp gave this production a real edge but, above all, the superb acting by all five players made it a real theatrical treat.

	--------Waterside THEATRE COMPANY
	May 2007
	*Ladies Day*








	extract from The Waterside Herald June 2007 Galloping to Victory Theatre Review by Janice Taylor Waterside Thearte Company bought a glimpse of midsummer sunshine to Holbury with their delightful production of 'Ladies Day', set at York Racecourse for Royal Ascot. The four fish factory workers (Becky Coultas, Angela Sutherland, Helen Hodrien and Emma Howes) who treat themselves to a day at the races, were wonderfully portrayed, each one having a very individual character, and each one having their own particular hang-ups and secrets. It was a really fun production with some beautifully acted moments of real poignancy - and, I confess, I had a tear in my eye on one occasion. We laughed with them, sympathised with them, felt sorry for them and rejoiced with them. Performing opposite these four accomplished actresses, Stuart Collins had the task of playing six different characters, each one with a different accent and a different personality - quite a tour-de-force which he pulled off marvellously. Simple, but versatile set, very effective lighing, good costumes and excellence direction by John Yapp gave this production a real edge but, above all, the superb acting by all five players made it a real theatrical treat.

	Extract from Daily Echo May 23rd 2007 *Ladies winning act at the races* PEARL, retiring from a northern fish factory, is determined to celebrate with her friends as Royal Ascot comes to York Racecourse for one year only. A contemporary comic drama complete with popular culture references, Ladies’ Day offers a poignant look at the lives of four friends, each seeking to escape their unglamorous existence and live out their dreams. The characterisations were extremely well rounded, each woman – particularly Helen Hodrien ( Shelley ) – showing vulnerability and determination. Accents were consistently good and Stuart Collins should be commended for portraying all six male characters himself. The lighting enhanced the minimalist, multi-purpose scenery, and the music reflected Linda’s obsession with Tony Christie. Continuous echoing made dialogue difficult to hear at times, but this production still deserved a larger audience. Anne Waggot