Press reviews

All the reviews of our performances published by the local press are reproduced below in chronological order, beginning with the most recent production.

THE TURN OF THE SCREW

COMMON GROUND DO US A GOOD TURN!

The Henry James novella 'The Turn of the Screw' has inspired a number artistic endeavours: film, opera, television, radio and theatre. Whatever the media, the question is still posed – is it a straightforward gothic horror story or a more complex study of hysteria?

Common Ground Theatre Company’s production left us no wiser by the end, but we, the audience, had been entertained, intrigued and had our nerves well and truly jangled as the plot unravelled to its startingly abrupt conclusion.

In my opinion, the adaptation by Ken Whitmore is a little pedestrian in parts, and the problem of presenting a large rambling country house on the very small stage at the Broadbent Theatre was never quite overcome. However, Vicky Ashberry, the director, more than compensated for this by creatively marshalling the undoubted talent she had at her disposal and inspiring her cast to great heights.

Jason Hippisley commanded the stage briefly as the mysterious Mr Crimmond who, for some unknown reason, abandons his children and house to an inexperienced, young governess, Miss Grey.

Miss Grey is an enormous part and Sarah Holt certainly did it justice, delivering a tour-de-force performance with intelligence and exactly the right amounts of passion, sensitivity and vocal clarity. Another large part in the play is that of Mrs Grose, the housekeeper, who was played by Christine Hughes with great warmth, charm and light comic touches.

The younger actors playing the children in the play were also both exceptional. Jamie Bendy had an excellent stage presence and showed great composure and clarity as the intelligent, sensitive but confused Miles. Fern Rodgers was remarkably focused as Flora, demonstrating advanced stagecraft and creating a very believable character.

There were two actors, unacknowledged in the programme, who did not speak but appeared several times, with powerful presences, as the ghosts. It was at these moments that the play really came alive and evoked the true ghost story spirit. These were also the times when the atmospheric lighting, by Patrick Markham, was at its most effective.

It was spooky driving home in the dark afterwards on the unlit and deserted roads away from Wickenby and there was no doubt that the evening’s entertainment had the desired ghostly effect. What a great success and what an excellent choice of play for the time of year!

Tuppy Owen
Market Rasen Mail, 13th November 2008

ON STAGE

The dark and winding road to the Broadbent Theatre in Wickenby on Thursday night certainly provided a fitting build-up to this tense and chilling ghost story.

The intimate theatre even played its own role on the night, creaking with the ghosts of performers past and present as Common Ground Theatre Company trod its boards with 'The Turn of the Screw'.

Adapted from the novella by Henry James, this shadowy mystery revolves around a young governess who believes her two charges are being haunted by former employees. A very special mention must go to Fern Rodgers and Jamie Bendy who played the young Flora and Miles so well the audience could never truly be sure whether they were angelic or treacherous.

Which leads to the central theme of the play... is Miss Grey going mad or are the ghostly apparitions real?

Sarah Holt's unnerving portrayal of Miss Grey certainly left everyone wondering the truth of the matter and chilled by the prospect of her madness.

This play represented an ambitious attempt for an amateur dramatic company with such a formidable and ambiguous plot and praise must be given to the cast for sticking to the traditional Victorian setting.

Dawn Hinsley
Lincolnshire Echo, 8th November 2008

More Food for Thought

TWO PLAYS TOUCH THE FUNNYBONE OF THE AUDIENCE

You won't hand over your hard-earned pennies for a night of theatre and get greater value for money than that on offer during an evening of amateur performances entitled More Food for Thought.

The evening, at Croft Street Community Centre, off Monks Road, Lincoln, not only comprised two one-act plays and two monologues but a two-course meal and glass of wine too.

Proceedings kicked off with Two Sides of a Square, a play starring Sasha Drennan, Luke Niemiec and Sarah Holt.

This was followed by a main course meal, a monologue, a raffle, another monologue, dessert and a final play.

I must give quick mention for the food, which was delicious, but the night belonged to the amateur performers.

The second monologue, by Jez Ashberry, was of particular note... sending a nervous giggle of recognition around the room and touching a chord with all nervous flyers.

The most outstanding of the evening's productions though was the final play, Meat and Two Veg - a witty tale about vegetable growers obsessed with, in particular, the size of their veg.

The play also answered the question, for anyone who's ever wondered, of what really is smouldering away on their neighbour's bonfire.

The three actors in this performance, Juli Charlton, David Lintin and Mark Scales, demonstrated great timing, developing characters which were engaging and funny.

In fact, most performances hit the funny bone and were a credit to the Common Ground Theatre Company.

Dawn Hinsley
LIncolnshire Echo, 8th May 2008

Pygmalion

FEISTY PERFORMANCE CAPTIVATES AUDIENCE

The much-loved tale of Eliza Doolittle's transformation from street girl to high society lady was given a feisty portrayal by talented actress Aggi Gunstone at a packed Lincoln Drill Hall.

Common Ground Theatre Company's three-night run of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion featured Cockney and cut-glass accents perfectly depicting the snobbery of Victorian England.

With a strong cast, stunning costumes and a stylish set, Gunstone's Eliza portrayed a stark metamorphosis from the 'deliciously low and horribly dirty' street seller to a lady.

And Henry Higgins' - played by Richard Wood - parading of Eliza mid-transformation must not be forgotten, provoking priceless reactions from fellow cast members.

The first half was perfectly watchable, the second, focusing on the breakdown of the relationship between Eliza and Higgins, quite captivating.

Charlotte Orson
Lincolnshire Echo 20th July 2007

Julius Caesar

NIGHT OF THE 'LONG KNIVES' AT DRILL HALL

Although more than 400 years has elapsed since Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar, a topical interpretation of the classic showing at Lincoln Drill Hall brings it bang into context.

With press conferences, footage screened on news channels and speculation among the masses over divided loyalties, it is hard to distance the political drama from the current debate raging over when Tony Blair should step down and who should succeed him in the battle for the premiership.

Even with the footage of the civil war which ensues following Caesar's murder it is impossible not to draw parallels with Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

It is this relevance which makes the bard's tragedy a timeless classic and its interpretation by actors from the Lincoln Shakespeare Company and Common Ground Theatre Company a triumph.

Charlotte Orson
Lincolnshire Echo 28th April 2007

Abigail's Party

ABIGAIL'S PARTY A BIG HIT

I love Abigail’s Party. Dripping with 70’s nostalgia, it contains toenail-curling attempts at social one-upmanship that have you laughing your socks off one minute and uncomfortably squirming in your seat the next but the whole thing is so compelling you just can’t turn away...

Written by Mike Leigh using trademark improvisation techniques the plot centres around an intimate but truly awful drinks party in the lounge of Beverly and Laurence’s suburban house (complete with real leather suite, silver-plated candelabra and a rotisserie). The unfortunate guests are new neighbours Angela and Tony, together with Sue, Abigail’s mother, who is stoically escaping her teenage daughter’s party next door. As the drinks flow liberally the small talk loosens and the social tensions heighten…

Common Ground Theatre Company’s production directed by Maurice Raphael at the Broadbent Theatre in Wickenby last week was oozing with 70’s kitsch and the audience lapped it up. When Beverly produced the cheesy pineapples on sticks resplendently displayed in half an orange covered in silver foil there was an audible gasp of appreciation.

As the hideous hostess Beverly, Wendy Tenbeth definitely made the most of the flirtatious side of the character as she dug her painted talons into the monosyllabic Tony (Andy Holmes). Anticipating the lines that were going to get the audience roaring, she delivered these with confidence and relish.

Martin Noble gave a real injection of energy to the production as Beverly’s workaholic husband Laurence and Katie Greathead was consistently naïve as mousy neighbour Angela who is constantly opening her mouth and putting her foot in it. Su Toogood downplayed the role of quiet divorcee Susan with an impressively realistic off-stage vomit (too much gin on an empty stomach).

Although the accents were a little inconsistent and the pace quite slow at times there were some lovely moments of comedy. Laurence and Sue dancing together (on Beverly’s orders) at arms length to a smoochy tune and shaking hands at the end was as hilarious as it was embarrassing.

The intimate venue that the Broadbent Theatre provides worked very well for this show and at times you really felt like a voyeur at this cringeworthy social event. Despite a few nervously awkward moments, the odd unsubtle grimace and a couple of unnecessary wigs this production was a big hit with the audience who tittered away as though Beverly was topping up their glasses as often as her own. Little cheesy-pineapple one anyone…?

Jo Hollingworth
Market Rasen Mail 14th December 2006

The Coarse Acting Show

THE ART OF COARSE ACTING

A show always starts for me at the theatre door, and I was not disappointed by the welcome that was given by the box office and the three charming young programme sellers. A very helpful theatre manager and some lively music in the background further enhanced the atmosphere.

Michael Green has written a series of plays and books regarding Coarse Acting and as the title suggests the content covers theatrical disasters - if it can go wrong it does, from props which fail to falling scenery and actors who do not know their lines.

Over-acting and under-acting are all qualities required to make these plays a success. With a show of this genre actors need to be able to act well to act badly and in this the show succeeded. The most hilarious moment for me was the tea urn which represented a samovar in The Cherry Sisters which once turned on could not be turned off. As a result every receptacle on the stage was brought into use and very skilfully operated by Lindsey Slapp.

Lindsey also played the musical conductor in the opera Il Fornicazione which was again very skilfully done as the only member of the orchestra to turn up was the triangle player.

The evening was divided into three plays and one opera introduced by the theatre manager standing in for the chairman of CHAPS who was reportedly in hospital having suffered a broken leg in a previous production.

The plays were broken up by some hilarious piano interval music by the talented Miss Titterington; how one can manage to play so many wrong notes whilst making the tune vaguely recognizable takes talent.

Another highlight was the re-run of a play called Stalag 69. All three actors played their parts to perfection and were ably assisted by perfect falling scenery, revealing the backstage crew sitting on a sofa with the requirements for their sound effects, including rattling chains and pink daisy wellie boots representing the sound of German soliders marching.

The large cast of 14 coped well with the intricacies of this play; Ann Jackson's over-acting in Streuth! was particularly suitable. Jason Hippisley’s false-bearded vicar was well portrayed when he was manoeuvred into the dreaded 'loop' (a term used when actors repeat the same lines over and over again because they have missed or been given the wrong cue).

Teana Hutchinson’s playing of the Countess di Formaggio in Il Fornicazione singing in true operatic style was played to perfection.

The lighting effects were well designed and operated by Damian Hutchinson with just the right amount of subtlety between bad lighting and lighting designed to be inadequate at times.

Costumes were also well put together by Vicky Ashberry and the set with all its intricacies was well constructed and suited the genre of the play. Make up was subtle with just enough of a hint of 'over the top'.

It is very difficult to direct a play of this ilk and I congratulate Jez Ashberry on his skilled direction.

The only disappointment was the audience numbers; this play deserved a bigger audience, as do many productions at the Broadbent Theatre. Local and professional companies produce some very entertaining and quality productions which are not well supported at this charming rural community theatre.

Gloria Poole
Market Rasen Mail 20th July 2006

ON COARSE TO TREAT US TO ALL THE CLICHES

If you are a fan of outtakes and TV bloopers then this show is for you.

Common Ground Theatre Company presents The Coarse Acting Show which follows the trials and tribulations of a hapless am dram club staging four short plays.

The show got off to a slow start but the audience were soon enjoying some great Acorn Antique-esque moments in the murder mystery and the Chekhovian tragedy.

The final scene of the Chekhov play was a particular highlight and set the scene for the very funny Stalag 69, with a top performance from Philip Little as Squadron Leader Crawford.

The varied line-up also included an opera with plenty of melodrama and a sterling performance from the orchestra - a lthough it would be hard to match the musical talents of the interval pianist.

Amy Woolford
Lincolnshire Echo 15th July 2006


The Darling Buds of May

'PERFICK' SHOW SETS HIGH STANDARDS

The enchanting tale of a 'perfick' life came to the stage of the Broadbent Theatre enveloping the whole audience in the Kentish Larkin idyll.

The play, of course, is H E Bates's The Darling Buds of May and this was the first foray to the wilds of Wickenby for the Common Ground Theatre Company.

The parts of Ma and Pop Larkin are synonymous with David Jason and Pam Ferris, thanks to the very successful television series, but Maurice Raphael and Christine Hughes approached the roles head on and made them their own.

And the same goes for Elly Tipping, as the beguiling Mariette, and Jason Hippisley, as the earnest, young tax inspector Mr Charlton (Charley). The pair captured the relationship between the two characters immaculately and, although the vast majority of the audience knew the story, there was still an air of anticipation as to the outcome.

The supporting cast did just that, supported the main characters, by giving spot-on performances that added to the main action of the play.

A small theatre always presents some challenges when staging a play, but Common Ground used the available space to maximum impact.

The whole production, to coin a phrase, was just perfick, setting a high standard for themselves with local theatre goers.

The Common Ground Theatre Company will be returning to Wickenby in July with The Coarse Acting Show.

Dianne Tuckett
Market Rasen Mail 16th March 2006

SHOW 'PERFICK' FOR SOME

The auditorium was packed as The Darling Buds of May got off to a sedate start at the Broadbent Theatre in Wickenby last night.

In the first of a three-night run there were strong performances from Pop (Maurice Raphael), Ma (Christine Hughes) and Mariette (Elly Tipping).

But if you're after and edge-of-your-seat ride this gentle production won't suit.

The pace is slow with some moments of uncomfortable silence but the performance, by Common Ground Theatre Company, was a hit with the audience.

There were moments of comedy thanks to Jason Hippisley's role as bumbling Mr Charlton.

The laughter wasn't always comfortable but for some this show was just "perfick".

Katherine Davison
Lincolnshire Echo 11th March 2006

Billy Liar

BILLY LIAR IS A TRUE SUCCESS

The suffocating atmosphere of Billy Fisher's life in 1950s Britain is well captured in Common Ground Theatre Company's production of 'Billy Liar'.

A strong cast depicts the trials and tribulations of inveterate liar Billy and his long-suffering family and looks at how everyone is trapped in their own way.

Maurice Raphael and Vicky Ashberry are very convincing as Billy's parents and Andy Holmes and Elly Tipping add real spark as the best mate and the wronged girlfriend.

But Billy's Gran, his girlfriend Barbara and lost love Liz are also convincingly portrayed.

There were a few shaky moments on opening night but the performance was none the less for that and Jason Hippisley brought Billy to life with ease.

All in all an enjoyable evening's entertainment.

Amy Woolford
Lincolnshire Echo 29th October 2005

It's A Wonderful Life

FESTIVE FAVOURITE A WINTER WARMER

Regularly topping polls of the public's favourite films, 1946 classic It's A Wonderful Life has become as much a part of Yuletide as trees, tinsel and turkey.

And it was a brave move by Lincoln's Common Ground Theatre Company to attempt to put the Capra into Christmas with their own stage version of the familiar story at the city's Drill Hall last week.

The production, which also transferred to Nettleham Village Hall at the weekend, was a straightforward adaptation of the movie's story - a gender change here, a necessary excision there, but essentially Frank Capra's movie on stage.

At times, especially in the first half, the enormity of what the cast had taken on seemed to overwhelm them. with uneven performances and inconsistent American accents. But as the plot thickened and especially when hero George Bailey - well played by Jez Ashberry - was shown what his home town of Bedford Falls would have been like if he had never been born, the production really hit its stride.

There were enjoyable performances from Jennifer Martin as George's wife and Su Toogood as impish guardian angel Clarice Oddbody who finally gets her wings at the end of the play, and the whole thing took place on a superb and ambitious set in which the entire town was laid out across the stage, allowing the action to move smoothly between key buildings as the story of George's life unfolded .

Clever use of props also allowed Bedford Falls to be transformed into Pottersville during a brief blackout, and back again just as quickly. A production which took time to thaw but warmed into a spirited re-telling of a Christmas classic.

Mike Lyon
Lincoln Chronicle 23rd December 2004

WONDERFUL SHOW HITS RIGHT NOTE

The heart-warming tale of a man saved from suicide by his guardian angel was brought to the stage last night.

Frank Capra's much-loved Christmas movie It's A Wonderful Life has been adapted for the stage by Mary Elliott Nelson and Ian B Smith. It was performed by Lincoln's Common Ground Theatre Company in the city's Drill Hall.

Strong performances by Jez Ashberry as George Bailey, Jennifer Martin as Mary Bailey and Su Toogood as the angel working for her wings brought to life the feel-good story.

This life-affirming seasonal tale of friendship and the nature of achievement will melt any Scrooge's heart this Christmas.

Karen Parsons
Lincolnshire Echo 17th December 2004

Gaslight Extravaganza

SHOW'S AN ABSOLUTE GAS!

Queen Victoria glowers from the wall. High up in their boxes, moustachioed gentlemen peer intently towards the stage. The band strikes up and the MC, resplendent in top hat and tails, enters...

All of which goes to prove it was the setting, atmosphere and attention to detail - almost as much as the performances on stage - which made Common Ground Theatre Company's latest offering such a success.

In a departure from its usual dramatic productions, the company turned back the clocks for a Gaslight Extravaganza, a splendidly realistic evocation of the days of music hall which opened at Lincoln's Central Methodist Church on Friday.

All the songs you would expect were there, from Don't Dilly Dally and Any Old Iron to Burlington Bertie of Bow and Old Bull and Bush (with song sheets supplied, of course). These were interspersed with comedy, operetta, a comic monologue, a tribute to the silent movies and a scene-stealing recreation of the Sand Dance.

Self-proclaimed 'Master of Cemeteries' Tim Raynes kept the whole thing moving along briskly - and had all the best lines - and the individual items were delivered with irrepressible gusto, to the obvious delight of both the performers themselves and the sizeable opening night audience, several of whom had turned up in suitably old-fashioned clothes.

First-night nerves caused a few hiccups but could not dampen the spirits of all involved, and the result was an evening which no astute afficionado of such effusively and energetically effervescent entertainment could fail to enjoy. God save the Queen!

Mike Lyon
Lincoln Chronicle 20th May 2004

GOLDEN AGE RECREATED WITH FLAIR

We were promised an extravaganza and that is just what this latest departure by Common Ground Theatre Company proved to be.

Continuing this weekend at the Millennium Festival Studio Theatre - behind Lincoln's Central Methodist Church - Gaslight Extravaganza rolls back the years to the heyday of music hall gaiety.

A good two and a half hours of non-stop banter and repartee wrapped around a full programme of sing-along classics and voices worthy of a West End stage or opera house offers a remarkable recreation of a golden age.

It is a brave venture for a company regarded for its powerful dramatic presentations to lift the curtain on a totally different sort of showmanship, but with such an array of diverse talents among members and guests it is one that pays of with some style.

Audiences during last weekend, including a packed house, could not resist the urge to dress for the occasion and join in as their predecesors would at the original Victorian music hall.

Sheryl Tribe sets the scene with a jaunty chorus of Don't Dilly Dally and from there on it's a roller coaster of timeless classics which generate - seemingly from nowhere for those barely old enough to remember Saturday Night at the Palladium or the Royal Variety Shows - an urge to get stuck in too.

Jane Walker's remarkable operatic voice provides a sure grounding around comedian Jeff Bridge's slightly more bawdy touches, and Derek West and Edd Simpson also bring you back to the late 19th-century traditions of a good night out.

Seeing is believing where 'strongman' Ian Smith is concerned and the Sand Dance led by Tracey Hunt lends an air of the exotic, while Victoria Ashberry's jaunty verse of Burlington Bertie and Su Toogood's two popular songs recreate that wonderful sense of Empire building which the music hall sought to celebrate.

It is a credit to director and producer coupling Victoria and Jez Ashberry that they managed to bring such an extravaganza out of the darkness and into the gaslight.

Jason Hippisley
Market Rasen Mail 19th May 2004 (Lincolnshire Echo)

The Children's Hour

WHOLLY DEPRESSING BUT BRILLIANT ALL THE SAME!

Common Ground Theatre Company's growing reputation for challenging and sometimes distrubing drama received another hike
last week.

In a modern society where careers and livelihoods are regularly ruined by lies and innuendo, Lillian Hellman's acclaimed but rarely
staged The Children's Hour is not just horribly plausible but entirely relevant, written in the 1930s but retaining an almost
contemporary feel.

Besides Hellman's script, a simple yet attractive set and Vicky Ashberry's advisedly low-key direction - making the moments of
violence even more shocking - the show's biggest asset was its cast, with excellent roles for Melissa Corfield and Sheryl Tribe as
the beleaguered teachers, Matt Morrissey as the fiance of one of them, and Gaynor Little as the grandmother of one of the
schoolgirls.

There was also a totally credible (and just a little unhinged) central performance by Francesca Gugliotta - the girl whose whispered allegations have such a devastating effect - and excellent ensemble playing from all the young actresses involved, including their American accents!

Wholly depressing but hugely enjoyable, this was both a gripping and gruelling piece of theatre, Hellman denying her characters -
or the audience - the comfort of a pat ending, and only unpalatable human truths for souvenirs. A brave and brilliant production.

Mike Lyon
Lincoln Chronicle 19th November 2003

EMOTIONAL SHOW OF CHARACTER

Intense performances of thought-provoking plays are a proud tradition for Lincoln-based Common Ground Theatre Company, and
their latest production, The Children's Hour, is no exception.

Written in 1934, it tells the story of two women who run a school for girls. When one of the girls' relatives acts on a lie her
granddaughter tells her, the lives of the two women are ruined.

While the events of the first act are lively and set the scene for the later tragic events, it is the second and third acts where the
emotional intensity between the adult characters comes to the fore and playground bullying is magnified into social ostracism in
the adult world with devastating consequences.

Audiences will be left deeply moved by this portrayal of the plight of these women.

Karen Parsons
Lincolnshire Echo 13th November 2003

Food for Thought

THEATRE NIGHT PROVIDES FOOD FOR THOUGHT

We were promised food for thought and audiences must have left feeling deeply satisfied, if not satiated.

Common Ground Theatre Company's inspired twist on an evening at the theatre gave us plenty to chew over.

Not only were there three very appetising courses of tenderly cooked and perfectly well baked drama, but a first-rate dinner into
the bargain.

Chef Ian Smith excelled himself in the kitchen three nights running before jumping on to the stage to perform in the last of three
brilliantly written pieces chosen by directors Steve Watters and Su Toogood.

You knew you were poised for an incisive look at life in the opening piece, The Ark, when newly widowed Cecilia observes:
"There's more to life than dusting bed springs."

And by bringing sheer talent to the bittersweet and painfully sharp observations of writer Helen Griffin, Gaynor Little, Melissa
Corfield and Vicky Ashberry taught us more than a thing or two about life and death.

The three of them, as mother and daughters trying to come to terms with the immediate aftermath of a husband and father's death,
painted a perfect picture of grief through shades of light and dark.

Gaynor in particular turned in a most magnetic and compelling performance, which sadly made the following act seem somewhat lacklustre.

Jean McConnell's Shoppers is very cleverly crafted and Juli Charlton and Christine Bellamy performed it brilliantly, with just enough subtlety to merely hint at the suggestion that they were shoplifters rather than spenders.

But in dramatic terms in was merely a snack, to be followed by a light dessert.

A Dog’s Life saw some truly excellent characterisation of dogs by humans to give a profound look at life through canine eyes,
asking who gave humans the power to control dogs and why they thought they were God because they walked on their hind legs.

Holly Jackson had few words, but made up for it in actions as an irrepressibly excitable puppy, contrasting with David Stubbs'
hang-dog personification of a weary mongrel.

It is perhaps a little disturbing how Jacqui Briggs and Jez Ashberry became their French poodle and German Shepherd dogs so
well through their bearing and expressions and it is to be hoped that none are typecast.

Jason Hippisley
Lincolnshire Echo 14th April 2003

FIVE-STAR PLAYS ON THE MENU

Deciding to incorporate a substantial supper into their latest production, Common Ground Theatre Company made sure it was
varied, well prepared and satisfying. And so was the food.

Food for Thought saw Lincoln’s Croft Street Community Centre transformed into a kind of cultural café, with the audience sitting
around the tables where they ate different courses between three one-act plays.

The entrée for the evening, presented in conjunction with Metheringham Players, was The Ark by Helen Griffin, Gaynor Little’s
sensitive and utterly believable performance as a middle-aged woman coping with the death of her husband bringing many people
to tears. She also received solid support from Melissa Corfield and Vicky Ashberry as her daughters.

The second plays – Shoppers – turned out to be the lowest in calories of the three, Juli Charlton and Christine Bellamy working
hard to wring the humour from Jean McConnell’s thin dialogue between two ladies comparing their ‘purchases’ as they wait for a
lift home. The final twist was fun but the sketch – perhaps also because it was the shortest – lacked the impact of its culinary companions.

One dessert later came A Dog’s Life by Pam Valentine, a well written piece about four dogs locked in a pound. Their differences
in age and nationality made for some neat comic exchanges – at least until the suddenly downbeat and thought-provoking ending.

And there were excellent ensemble performances from David Stubbs, Jacqui Briggs, Jez Ashberry and Holly Jackson as a puppy
with a food fixation.

The six-strong cast was completed by Christine Bellamy and company chef Ian Smith coming out of the kitchen to take a neat
cameo as the dog warden.

With Su Toogood – who also directed the latter two plays; Steve Watters directed the first – on top form as the MC for the evening, and other company members waiting on tables, this was an ambitious, labour-intensive and totally successful attempt to combine a surprisingly adventurous menu with excellent dramatic and comic interludes. A five-star evening.

The Accrington Pals

FRIENDSHIPS FORGED IN TIME OF WAR

Steve Watters directs Lincoln-based Common Ground Theatre Company in an ambitious production of The Accrington Pals by Peter Whelan.

The play tells the story of a group of men who volunteered to go to war in 1914 and of the women left behind – around whom most of the action centres.

Although based on historical event of a group of friends from Accrington, their story is true for most areas of the country at that time. The action of the play does not, however, focus on the fighting but instead on the relationships formed between the men and women during those uncertain and often harrowing times.

Vicky Ashberry and Juli Charlton give strong performances as the main characters.

The set recreated the bleak environment, typical of the times, as the backdrop against which the women go about their daily lives. This is effectively brightened at times with the interjection of high-spirited humour provided by the mill girls, played by Su Toogood and Sheryl Tribe.

Expect some loud explosions as the men are follows into no man’s land, providing brief snapshots of life on the front line.
Jason Hippisley as Ralph and Patrick Cant as Tom offer just the right balance of humour and humanity as two of the young volunteers.

The director successfully balances the play’s action while providing a touching insight into real people’s lives.

Jo Brown
Lincolnshire Echo 29th November 2002

COMPANY SCORES VICTORY WITH WORLD WAR DRAMA

War broke out on the Lincoln stage last week and although the men of Accrington suffered heavy losses, city drama company Common Ground scored a notable victory.

The production saw the small amateur outfit – a theatrical David, just into its second year – bravely square up to The Accrington Pals, a three-hour Goliath spanning comedy, tragedy and everything between, and come out on top.

Peter Whelan’s play is a sprawling work dealing with the slaughter of most of Accrington’s menfolk during the First World War, and the aftermath in which the women of the town had to conduct their own battle to learn the truth.

On a simple but functional set the 10-strong cast not only turned in an impressive showing, bringing real credibility to the script’s everyday banter, but also a range of accomplished individual performances.

Juli Charlton, having made her debut with the company last year, was excellent in the sizeable main role of May Hassal, while Vicky Ashberry caught both the naiveté and worldly wisdom, as well as in one key scene the emotional depth, of mill girl Eva.

There were marvellous roles, too, for Sheryl Tribe and Su Toogood, the latter in particular in scene-stealing mood, especially when delivering one-liners about her husband’s sexual prowess or turning the wide-eyed double-take into an art form.

A special mention must also go to Jason Hippisley, by far the tallest member of the cast, who bravely folded himself up like a concertina to take a dip centre stage in a tin bath no bigger than a kitchen sink.

Some parts of Whelan’s script are a delight – especially those spotlighting the women left behind in Accrington when their men went off to war – although less successful were the more surreal elements, such as May being confronted by the ghost of the man she loved.

Common Ground’s third production since last year, The Accrington Pals confirms the company as welcome reinforcements on the city’s drama front. One can only look forward to their next skirmish.

Mike Lyon
Lincoln Chronicle 4th December 2002

Talking Heads

MONOLOGUE MASTERCLASS IN MUNDANE

All human life is here, seen through the eyes, minds and thoughts of three very ordinary women.

Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads are a triumph in observation – turning the mundanity of everyday life into masterpieces that strike at the heart of all our lives.

And at the hands of three accomplished character actresses, Lincoln’s Common Ground Theatre Company gives fresh impetus to these perfectly penned monologues.

Most captivating as she floods us with her stream of consciousness is Gaynor Little, rising to the challenge set by Stephanie Cole to play Muriel in Soldiering On. With wonderful poise and perfect pauses to add weight to her thoughts, she provides a stoical salute to that certain breed of Englishness.

All three performers are so very engaging as they share with us their ideas, doubts and indiscretions.

Vicky Ashberry visibly blossoms as her character Susan, a vicar’s wife, confesses to a sexual liberation fuelled by altar wine among a bed of lentils in a corner shop.

Through her eyes we appreciate the very minutiae of village life, while Christine Bellamy gives us an insight into the life of a net-twitching, letter-writing, angry women who only finds happiness once she lands herself in prison – face to face with ’the enemy’.

Jason Hippisley
Lincolnshire Echo 29th May 2002

Spring and Port Wine

AMATEUR DRAMATIC STAGE SUCCESS

A sterling performance was seen on the amateur dramatic stage last night.

The Common Ground Theatre Company’s presentation of Bill Naughton’s Spring and Port Wine went down a storm at St Swithin’s Community Centre, in Croft Street, Lincoln.

In the play a cowering family hide all their small vices from a tyrannical father who rules the roost with a rod of iron.
The despot struggles to deal with the potential havoc the morals of the time can wreak on his clan, but causes more than he bargained for in doing so.

Stars of the show, Wilf (Philip Little) and Betsy-Jane (Gaynor Little), led the troupe in their success and the rest of the cast brought glory to the entire aspiring thespian world.

Carol Webb
Lincolnshire Echo 28th November 2001