Broughton Players did not disappoint with their production this month of Alan Bennett’s ‘ Habeus Corpus’.

Hilarious moments came a plenty for all the roles in the play giving great opportunities for those gifted with comic timing and an appetite for slapstick humour.

Peta Watson excelled in the important connecting role of the lugubrious Mrs Swabb, the cleaning lady of the Wicksteed family. The part of Constance Wicksteed was also very well played by Linda Cardigan. She clearly enjoyed the switch back and forth from a dowdy, depressed beige clad spinster to a liberated mini skirted sexpot delighting in the opportunities afforded her since the acquisition of an impressive pair of falsies. The seriously repressed Canon Throbbing played by Garry Collins throbbed very convincingly to the great amusement of all. Carole Collins, Tim Evans and Nigel Ottley revelled in smaller but important roles on which most of the comic action depended. More youthful talent came from newcomers to the Broughton stage Sarah Royle and Tim Harris: they performed well in important roles and we hope to see them again.

So a good time was had by all. However despite all this good team work the production did not, in my humble Hobson opinion, wholly come to terms with some of the problems of this play. Habeas Corpus is not straightforward for as always Bennett stirs the pot. He puts into a brilliant, light hearted, cheeky farce undercurrents of cynicism and gloom. Creating a balance between these elements causes real difficulties for the Director and the actors. It is those forming the triangle at the centre of the plot who have to cope with this. Promiscuity, lust, frustration and the search for revenge motivate the characters and farce and cynicism have to work together. Lynn Woods as Mrs Wicksteed created an attractive and amusing character but did Bennett intend a more formidable lady. Tony Lydeard as Sir Percy Shorter did not seem fully at ease with his role. Jeremy Quitman however had the greatest challenge as the irredeemable Dr. Wicksteed at the centre of all the shenanigans. He gave a very strong and technically accomplished performance but perhaps more light and shade in delivery would have helped to keep a balance between the disparate elements of the play. He convinced me as a man disillusioned with his own life and the state of humanity in general but not as a risk taking long term philanderer who found it amusing to be unable to remember the name of his own son.

In conclusion this was a very enjoyable evening and like the best it left us room to think on the issues,. What was Bennett up to? Does he pull it off? How did the director choose to interpret a tricky play? and more.. Broughton is very lucky to have a group prepared to take on a challenge and long may it continue to do so.

HOBSON’S REVIEW. 21.11.11

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