1st – 3rd May 1980
A hilarious farce dealing with a crazy but very likeable gang of bookies who, in order to be near the racecourse, are staying at a country hotel run by a retired colonel and his wife and daughter. Secret rooms, sliding panels, mistaken identity and a nice little bit of romance are some of the main ingredients of this very racy and slick farce, which never lets up for a moment.
The Cast
Colonel Wagstaff: Peter Monger
Mrs Wagstaff: Pauline Mordue
Beth: Liz Wright
Susan Wagstaff: Janet Booth
John Danby: Eric Saxton
Fred Phipps: John Sanford
Alfred Tubbe: Rob Bell
Flash Harry: Nick Roberts
Albert Polignac: Roger Gray
Sergeant Fire: Marilyn Barrell
Produced by Eric Saxton
Assisted by Mary Warrington
Newbury Weekly News Review
Drama… In Brief
[this footnote appeared a fortnight after our production in a round-up of local drama groups’ productions.]
There were, fortunately, some moments of respite in Compton Players’ production of John Chapman’s hilarious farce Dry Rot, otherwise the audience might still be helpless after laughing too much.
A dignified performance from Peter Monger and Pauline Mordue as the very new proprietors of a country inn, with larger-than-life comic villains in the persons of John Sanford, Rob Bell, and Nick Roberts; a lovesick couple played moonily by Eric Saxto and Janet Booth; an overenthusiastic and bungling policewoman played by Marilyn Barrell and Roger Gray’s fast-talking excitable Frenchman all added to the fun. Newcomer Liz Wright was a dream as the slow-witted maid. Producer was Eric Saxton who also designed the very pleasing set.
