Katherine Freeman reviews A Bunch of Amateurs at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City.
A Bunch of Amateurs, written by comedians Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, has made its triumphant and much-anticipated return to the Barn Theatre.
Last October, tragedy struck when the second performance had to be cancelled when two of the lead actors fell ill with COVID.
There is never a dull moment in this captivating and entertaining production about a struggling amateur dramatic company who, in a last-ditch attempt to save their theatre, decide to put on a production of King Lear and invite a celebrity to star in it.
Our theatre troupe is made up of an eccentric but endearing group of people, whose lives are transformed by the arrival of their new glamorous leading man, who has just flown in from Hollywood.
The story is an engaging one: the fading middle-aged film star, Jefferson Steele, arrives in the UK, intent on rebooting his career by playing King Lear starring at Stratford.
He finds himself at the Stratford Players, an amateur dramatic group based in the village of Stratford St John in Suffolk.
Much to his horror, Jefferson realises that this is not the theatre company he has been expecting.
His agent has led him to believe that he was to star at the other, much more well-known venue of the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Such has been the publicity that the furious Jefferson has no choice but to stay, denied of all his usual luxuries and entourage.
The story is one of redemption: during his time at the Stratford Players, Jefferson begins to transform into someone altogether less vain and selfish than the thoughtless, egomaniac that he once was.
Things go well, until he succumbs to the offer of a massage from the gorgeously persuasive wife of the show’s sponsor, Lauren Bell (played with great allure by Tamsin Goodwin-Connelly). This is sneakily leaked to the press and chaos ensues.
The cast work together as a fantastic ensemble. Their exchanges are slick, witty and well-timed.
Charlotte Collingwood, who plays Dorothy, the ambitious and driven director of the play, gives an assured and confident performance.
Jim Markey, who plays Jefferson, effortlessly shows his transformation from confident Hollywood idol to weeping wreck – he also makes a great King Lear.
And what wonderful characters the rest of the cast play! Amongst them, there is the bushy-haired stage hand Denis Dobbins (brilliantly portrayed by Barn regular Adam Dryer), who offers Jefferson use of his disability scooter as a limousine replacement.
Then there is the buxom, anxious and adoring Mary Plunkett, played with fantastic comic timing by Rachel Thomas.
There is also the insanely jealous and extremely theatrical Nigel Dewbury, played with finesse and style by Neil Harrison.
Last but not least, is the surprise visitor – Jefferson’s neglected daughter Jessica Steele, played with energy and wry humour by Hannah Humbles.
Director Bob Thomson’s production is bursting with originality and creativity at every corner.
A Bunch of Amateurs is a play within a play. The joke is that it is the story of an amateur theatre company, just like the Barn, and the direction cleverly draws on this parallel.
Before the show started, I was intrigued by members of the cast bursting into the bar to greet us in character. We were also handed programmes for their ‘production’ of King Lear.
The fourth wall – that invisible wall which usually separates the audience from the actors on stage – is regularly broken throughout the play, with the performers hurrying into the auditorium as though from outside, as well as furiously striding towards us down the aisle.
The clever use of visuals, projected onto a screen, is great fun, for example, when it shows an impatient Jefferson striding from his digs to the theatre.
There are also entertaining video clips of press conferences, as well as fictional newspaper footage from around the world.
If you love Shakespeare too, then this play is a double winner.
Quotes from King Lear intersperse with the main action, there are delightful and philosophical songs between acts and towards the end of the show, the set is transformed, and we are treated to a beautifully acted extract of the play itself.
If you’re looking for a great evening out, then A Bunch of Amateurs is a real treat.
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