Directed by Pip Piacentino and performed
on 19, 20 & 21 April, 2007 @ The Gulbenkian
Theatre, Canterbury.
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| Peter Whelan's
"The Accrington Pals"
The Canterbury Players
Gulbenkian Theatre
|
Reviewed by:
Elaine Godden.
Kentish Gazette. |
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"A world of women at war."
The effect of the First World War on a close knit group of women in a Lancashire
mill town is the focus of the play.
Peter Whelan's somewhat laborious setting out of their various situations and
his exploration of their frustration in the face of misinformation, as well
as their anxiety and grief, takes considerable time, contrasting with the following
act's shattering drama.
May, an ambitious stall holder is tortured by shame because of her love for
a young lodger who has now become a man. Her narrow upbringing adds guilt to
her confused emotions and she lets him go off to war, without consummating their
passion.
Sarah Gooch played May with harrowing
conviction and Ed Clark as the idealistic,
fresh faced Tom, reacted realistically with alternating exasperation and tenderness.
As the hideous, snarling ghost at the end of the play, he was equally as compelling.
The most powerful acting was from Sharon Gair as Annie, despite some awkwardness
as she manhandled her son, Reggie. As the bitter wife of the naive and gentle
Arthur her twisted features, spat out lines and final, anguished breakdown,
were disturbing to watch.
Josh Bushell as Reggie, and Jim Akhurst playing Arthur, were convincingly sensitive
in their roles.
In Ralph's last letter from the Somme, to his lover Eva, Mark
Smith demonstrated spiritual and physical agony, while Eva's early loyal,
later ambivalent relationship with May, were portrayed with warmth and perception
by Dee Neligan.
Louise Gibbins gave uninhibited realism, candour and dry humour to her role
as Sarah, and Victoria Pym as Bertha was charmingly young and gauche.
Sergeant Major Rivers was played with unusual sympathy and a commanding presence
by Mike Rivarno.
Derek Standing's sets were professional
and worked faultlessly, and the special effects of smoke and thundering guns
gave a terrifying reality to the scenes at the Battle of the Somme.
This was a resoundingly successful production of a play that could, without
the company's dramatic skills, have floundered in the first act.
Joint sponsors for "The
Accrington Pals":
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The Build-Up
A month after the outbreak of war, the Accrington Observer & Times
of 8th September 1914 reported that the War Office had accepted an offer
made by the mayor of Accrington, Captain John Harwood, to raise a complete
battalion. When recruitment began on 14th September, 104 men were accepted
in the first three hours. Brothers, cousins, friends and workmates enlisted
together, and by 24th September the Accrington battalion had reached a
full strength of 36 officers and 1,076 other ranks.
Around half the battalion had been recruited from Accrington and District;
the majority of the remainder had been raised in the neighbouring towns
of Burnley, Chorley and Blackburn. Some months later, the battalion was
to be strengthened by a quarter through the recruitment of a reserve company.
The Attack on Serre
"The History of the East Lancashire Regiment in the Great War"
records that out of some 720 Accrington Pals who took part in
the attack on Serre, 584 (over 81%) were killed, wounded or missing.
"The result of the H.E. shells, shrapnel, machine-gun and rifle
fire was such that hardly any of our men reached the German front trench.
The lines which advanced in such admirable order, melted away under fire;
yet not a man wavered, broke the ranks or attempted to go back. I have
never seen, indeed could never have imagined such a magnificent display
of gallantry, discipline and determination." (Brigadier-General
H. C. Rees, GOC of 94th Brigade.)
On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, significant inroads into
the German positions were made only where the terrain was less favourable
to the defenders nearer the Somme river. British casualties on this day
alone totalled 60,000.
Peter Whelan's "The Accrington Pals".
Peter Whelan, in his author's preface to "The Accrington Pals",
recalls how a fuzzy snapshot of his mother taken when she volunteered
as a female lumberjack during the First World War fascinated him. He writes
"I suppose what I couldn't believe was that my mother as I knew her
then - stout, middle-aged and living entirely for her family - had ever
experienced such release. Doors had once been opened and then slammed
shut, as they had been for millions of young women in that war. And through
the doors they had glimpsed tantalising freedoms as well as unimaginable
horrors."
Whelan remembers after reading Martin Middlebrook's "The First Day
on The Somme" one short paragraph stayed in his mind. "It concerned
the town of Accrington, Lancashire which had raised its own battalion,
'The Accrington Pals', for Kitchener's New Army. After the Somme battle,
Middlebrook tells us how the townspeople, driven by rumours of disaster
and angered by ludicrously optimistic reports in the press, surrounded
the Mayor's house to demand the truth."
For Whelan "this was like looking through a pin-hole into the past
and finding a whole vista of humanity revealed in a very unexpected way.
These mothers, wives, daughters and lovers of the Pals didn't knuckle
under sheepishly to authority in the way I had supposed. They realised
perfectly well that there was an "us and them"' situation with
regard to war information. Soldiers and sailors on leave contradicted
the official handouts. Those women resented government secrecy then as
we do today - and suspected, as we do, that much of it was a cover-up
for blundering at the top."
He now had the background for writing his play and drew on family memories.
We meet the men of the local volunteer battalion who rally to the cause
of defending King and Country and march off to the Great War with high-spirited
confidence and optimism. Their experiences in the trenches are contrasted
with those of the women left behind. His story centres on the relationship
between a strong-minded, ruggedly individualist woman and a dreamy, Utopian
idealistic young man. They are two of the characters in this rich tapestry
depicting the changes in civilian life during wartime. Although set during
1914 - 16, "The Accrington Pals" echoes contemporary concerns
and issues.
Peter Whelan concludes his author's preface with the questions "How
much am I for others? How much am I for myself? Twenty five years ago
I might have said that the reconciliation of this contradiction was the
answer to the Socratic question: how shall we live? But today it takes
on a global urgency as we face the question: how shall we survive? We
are all crossing no-man's land now."
Researching the times.
A few of the cast of "The Accrington Pals" recently visited
the excellent Imperial War Museum in London to get a feel of the times.
Naturally a refreshment break had to be taken, so tea and toast all round
followed the tour of the museum. (Ed: Yeah, right!) A great day out for
all concerned and each coming away with more insight into the conditions
experienced by those who experienced it and the hope that we never have
to do so for real.
Cast list "The Accrington Pals".
As May
As Annie Boggis
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Sharon Gair
Treasurer & Actor
Sharon has recently returned to the acting fray after winning a leading
role in motherhood in 2005..... she's not too impressed by Annie Boggis'
(The Accrington Pals)
parenting skills!
Sharon's last other "Annie" (Parker) was in Priestley's "When
We Are Married" in 2004.
Whilst she always enjoys her roles, she especially remembers her time
on stage as Linda Loman (Death of a Salesman) and as Alison Porter (Look
Back in Anger). |
As Ralph
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Mark Charles Smith
Actor: Gosforth's Fete;
La Ronde; Fallen
Angels; The Accrington
Pals (For Canterbury Players);
Seasons Greetings (For Chilham Players)
Mark joined the RAF in 1974 and left in 1987. He performed his first stage
piece - in a wind-blown tent in the Falkland Islands - in 1982. This was
as one of the Three Degrees song trio, miming to a recording and dressed
in chiffon - a dangerous thing to do with several hundred other airmen
removed from their wives and girlfriends for some months. He is now a
director of the succesful online marketing company, Internet
Marketing Kent Ltd.
Mark has appeared in end of year short films at universities in Canterbury
and Hastings and also as a film extra for various productions filmed in
Kent including "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "Wild Child".
Mark is looking for more extra work to get him out of the office once
in a while.
See his profile pages on Extras.co.uk
or Universal
Extras.
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As Tom
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Ed Clark
Actor: Justin, in Roleplay;
Tom in The Accrington
Pals; Peter in Blue Remembered
Hills
Ed has played a variety of roles over the last few years and keeps up
his skill set in a number of other disciplines, including singing and
sports, making him a very useful member of the Players and to others,
including film and tv production teams etc. |
As Eva
More about Dee... |
Danielle (Dee) Neligan
Actor: La Ronde; Play
It Again Sam; The
Accrington Pals
Recently informed by her mother that she has been usurped in her role
as Drama Queen of the family, Danielle begs to differ. Starting out in
school nativity plays (though never cast as Mary), she moved on to a spot
of TV and drama at Uni. Initially drawn to her first role with Canterbury
Players, as the presenter in "La
Ronde" - because she dreamed of being a dominatrix with a whip
- she is now utterly content flowing around in a corset and a pretty dress.
April 2007 saw Dee acting the part of Eva Mason, in Peter Whelan's "The
Accrington Pals". |
As Arthur Boggis
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Jim Akhurst
Actor, singer of comedy songs, mime artist etc. etc
Jim and his wife, Jill, moved from London to Whitstable three years ago.
Before joining the Canterbury Players, Jim was a member of several amateur
drama groups in East London. He joined the Lindley Players in Whitstable
and played the part of Ronald in their production of Absurd Person Singular
in 2005 and he also had several parts in the Canterbury Festival community
opera Promised Land in 2006.
He has played some major roles in comedies, but has also done his share
of spear carrying in Shakespearean history plays. Jim was pleased to be
given several parts in the Canterbury Festival community opera Promised
Land last year (2006).
In contrast to the righteous, religious character Arthur Boggis which
he played in "The
Accrington Pals", his first performance with the Canterbury Players,
Jim decided to turn his hand to a few comic songs for the performance,
"Palace of Varieties"
and will be appearing in "Fallen
Angels" by Noel Coward.
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As Sarah
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Louise Gibbins
Actor: Play It Again Sam;
Gosforth’s Fete;
The Accrington Pals;
La Ronde
Louise joined the Players in 2006 & has been involved in 4 productions.
The first was Harold Pinter’s ‘The
Birthday Party’ where she was the official teapot bearer between
Acts II & III. Following the success of teapot placement, she was
cast as Councillor Mrs Pearce in Alan Ayckborne’s ‘Gosforth’s
Fete’. Louise proved herself to be a massive hit when Charlie
Jubber (Gosforth) omitted to catch her as she fell off the podium backwards.
|
In Schnitzler's ‘La
Ronde’, she played a prostitute which was lucky as Louise was
concerned about being typecast! Louise also appeared in the production,
"The Accrington
Pals" by Peter Whelan. Here, she played Sarah, a hardworking
but fun loving mother in her late twenties.This is very far removed from
her own existence as a single, grumpy trainee mortgage advisor in Canterbury!!
Louise is seeking film extra work, her public profiles on casting websites
can be found HERE
and HERE.
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As Rivers
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Mike Rivarno
Actor
Mike has worked with the Players since early 2003 and has had a lot of
fun doing so. His roles include Alan Ayckbourne's "Roleplay"
in 2005 and Schnitzler's "La
Ronde" in 2006 followed by his part as CSM Rivers in Peter Whelan's
"The Accrington
Pals" (April 2007).
Initially appalled by the poet's ( La
Ronde, Whitstable Playhouse, 2006 ) dissimilarity to his own character,
his good friends Sally and Sarah soon dispelled his anxieties - especially
over all that kissing.
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| Mike is a constant source of amusement, forever telling jokes;
performing excellent impressions; quoting lines from his previous productions
and from books read and films and plays he has seen. |
As Bertha
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Victoria Pym
Actor
After living such previous lives as queens, ladies, dukes, communists,
brothel keepers and strippers for various companies and the Central School
of Speech & Drama, Victoria's fall down the social ladder to be reincarnated
as Bertha, the well-meaning Accrington tram worker for the Players, can
only be due to her sinful deeds... See "The
Accrington Pals" for more about that performance. |
As Reggie
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Joshua Bushell
Actor
Josh is 13 years old, at the time of writing, in March, 2007 and attends
the Hasland School Of Dance in Herne Bay, Kent where he studies dance
and drama. He is a pupil at Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, currently
in year 9 and his interests include rugby and music - he plays the guitar
well.
|
His ambition is to attend a Performing Arts University
- and to become an actor. The rest of the cast of "The
Accrington Pals" would consider - from his rehearsals to date
- that he is a long way towards achieving that goal already. Pip Piacentino,
director of "The
Accrington Pals" has expressed his great satisfaction of the
way Josh has responded to direction and we have all had fun laughing at
his antics as "Reggie" during rehearsals, whilst being impressed
at how seriously he is taking on the responsibility of playing the part
to the best, and his intelligence, friendliness and confidence.
Josh has already appeared in South Pacific and Scrooge, so at the tender
age of 13 already has valuable acting experience under his belt.
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Stagecraft for "The Accrington Pals".
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Pip Piacentino
Actor: Play It Again Sam;
Performance Director: The
Accrington Pals, Fallen
Angels
Pip fell in love with Britain when stationed here with the US Navy and
decided to make it his home. His links with Kent, especially Deal, stretch
back to 1964.
Pip first appeared on stage in New York when his father brought the
three-year old Pip on stage to liven up his act. He is equally at home
as an actor, director or playwright. A member of the South London Theatre
Centre, he directed many plays for them including Peter Whelan’s
"The Accrington
Pals" which he also directed in April 2007 with Canterbury Players.
Pip is to direct Canterbury Players in "Fallen
Angels" by Noel Coward. |
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Derek Standing
Set Design & Construction
Some 42 years ago, Derek responded to an urgent advert from Canterbury
Dramatic Society and although only 18 he got a job and even survived giving
the cast a nightmare on his first set because he did not know that one
has to add size glue to the powder paint.
Recent productions: RolePlay;
The Birthday Party; The
Accrington Pals; Play It
Again Sam; Fallen Angels |
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Liz Findlay
Actor: Play It Again Sam
Stage Manager (The Birthday
Party, La Ronde, The
Accrington Pals, Gosforth's
Fete, Play It Again Sam,
Fallen Angels, Blue
Remembered Hills.)
Liz joined the players in 2005 as prompt for Roleplay, rose to the position
of chief of teapot bearing and has been stage managing since then in Pinter's
"Birthday Party",
Ayckbourne's "Gosforth’s
Fete", Schnitzlers "La
Ronde", Whelan's "
The Accrington Pals" and Woody Allen's Play
It Again Sam in which she also took the part of Vanessa.
Liz is trained in Fine Art and has exhibited locally. She designed the
posters for Fallen Angels
and Blue Remembered Hills.
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Jill Akhurst
Director – "Palace of Varieties".
Singer of saucy songs; Director's Assistant (The
Accrington Pals)
Actor - Jill will be appearing as Saunders in "Fallen
Angels" by Noel Coward.
Jill is no stranger to amateur theatre, being quite well known in the
London Boroughs of Redbridge and Waltham Forest for her performances in
many plays. A retired drama teacher, she has acted in and directed more
plays than she cares to remember. In 2006 she acquired some notoriety
playing the pub landlady in Promised Land at the Marlowe Theatre for the
Canterbury Festival. She lives in Whitstable with husband Jim.
"Palace of Varieties"
will be her second production with the Canterbury Players in which she
is battling (against all odds) to get a non-musical group to
In at the deep end comes to mind – good job she can swim! |
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