Sex Toys Marloo Theatre

I should like some feedback re this play and other two in the one act season.

How was it for you all you theatre go-ers?

Don't know, didn't have any interest in it whatsoever so didn't bother going.

I loved "Sex Toys"! It was so funny I could hardly breathe! I thought that Gillian (Kate Mitton) was so gorgeous and funny, she absolutely lit up the stage with her smile! A wonderful cast with great chemistry. It was great to watch a laugh out loud comedy written by a local playwright. Bring on the Hills talent :) A also loved "The Pen of my Aunt". Such a classic, well-sturctured play. I have to say that the Stranger (Luke Taaffe) brought the stage to life. He was wonderful - a very talented, good looking young man who I think could easily be professional with his stage presence and charisma. I also loved the Corporal's (Graham Sharpe) German accent - a little 'Allo 'Allo? All the cast were very natural, which made for a nice, satisfying play. "False Hopes" was an interesting experience - I found it disconcerting when the audience were laughing in a drama. I guess I attribute that to the cringe-worthy, melodramatic Claudia character. I loved the power point/ slide show at the end - very epic. I also loved the combination of theatre styles the director (Peter Clark) used - strange for the average theatre-goer but great for the festival :) I though that Kate Mitton stole the show as Amy, and I couldn't believe the difference between this character and her other character in "Sex Toys"! I had to double check my program - it was like watching to different people! It just shows what amazing talent this young woman has. Why isn't she professional...? Good luck for the festival - you all deserve something!

I don't usually go to one acts, but I'm glad I made my way up the hill for these. I enjoyed all the plays - but I liked 'False Hopes' the best. I found it really emotive and deep (though saying 'deep' makes me sound daggy - it really did have another layer). I found all the acting was of a high standard, and the Pinter-esque stylisation and the subtle human comedy really made the play different to the average one act. In reply to the earlier review: maybe Claudia was funny because people were uncomfortable with her realistic representation of how we've all felt at one stage: worthless, unloved and alone. I believe her performance moulded in perfectly with the feel of the play, as each character contrasted dramatically in their objectives and their overall performance. 'Pen Of My Aunt' was good too. The Madame was incredibly real on stage, like she had been doing it all her life! Beautiful presence on stage. The Stranger was a bit to expressive and pushed the boundaries of realism and the tone of rest of the cast. But it did work in it's own way, and gave the play a quirky edge. The whistled French national anthem at the end was a great final touch. 'Sex Toys' is an experience everyone should have (no pun intended :). The play tended to drag in the middle (script-wise), but overall it was fun. All of the cast held their own - even the less outgoing and more serious/ sensible character, Carol, was fantastic and wasn't outshone by the comedy of the Gillian and Cameron characters. But Gillian and Cameron were excellent, and everyone seemed to have so much fun! I almosted envied them up there... I highly recommend taking the effort to see these one acts - as a lot of hard work goes into them. And the end result is great!