13th to 15th June 2024

Quizzers

By Geoff Bamber

Directed by Alan Hardy

Cast List

Production team

Review

Alan Hardy’s production of the two act comedy Quizzers by Geoff Bamber closely observes some wonderfully portrayed characters and their relationships with one another.

ODS’s production featured a talented team of actors, from husband and wife team Martyn and Katie Peters playing the quiz obsessed husband Keith and his wife Lorna who kept him in place; their daughter Alison and her girlfriend Nic played by Vee Hardy and Chloe Wellman, planning their life together; the artist and well-known danger to women, Ross, played by Stephen Dallyn; Binny, a wacky London designer so well inhabited by Wendy Freeman; Stella, Nic’s mum who has had so many husbands she’s not sure exactly how many, portrayed by Tracey Hardy and Gary Herring playing an ex-con who managed to portray his character Rat as someone both in control through meditation and yet totally unpredictable.

So how did they do? This was the best of am-dram with convincing characters and stage presence, wonderful ad-libbing, and some great comedy moments – mostly intended! Stella’s lovey-dovey phone message for her not yet divorced husband, was delivered with suitable insincerity. Keith’s continually stressing to get ‘in the zone’ for the quiz reminded me of real people I have actually met, and Lorna’s escape to find sanity in her ‘temperature-controlled cultivation environment’ was portrayed with generosity as she put up with her husband’s quiz obsession. Delightfully, art met reality when she referred to Keith by his real name – but she handled it well! Alison and Nic were convincing as a couple planning their life together – focussing on the central place of their washing machine in their relationship. Binny was clearly delighted to fall for Ross’s ‘input’ as he played the all too convincing roué, while Rat’s portrayal of the ex-con was worryingly lifelike and seemed to suggest that the rest of the characters were naïve to trust him.

Mention should be made of the scenery and costumes: Keith’s study was wonderfully un-cared for as befits a man who is no longer interested in his career and has become absorbed in quizzes to the exclusion of everything else. Each of the costumes enhanced the personality of the person they were playing. I wondered if there was a thing going on with shoes in the production: Binny and Stella wearing were red ones (you know the saying!) and Ross’s multi-coloured footwear outshining even his dramatic stripey jacket!

Thank you, Ockley Dramatic Society for an excellent production.