LAST
night I saw an amateur performance that surpassed anything that I have
seen in my time as a critic.
The Riverside Drama Company is staging two one-act plays that could not
be further apart in tone but were equally impressive.
Growing Pains opens the night and is a quite stunning piece of writing
from Iain Armstrong.
It tells of the short life of Andrew Strong through poignant soliloquies
give by his mother and father, Frank and Mary.
We find that the couple have waited 12 years to have a child, and travel
with them through his first days at school to his dramatic and intensely
moving demise.
Paul Norris and Liz Turner play the parents, with other members of the
Riverside troupe providing the necessary scene dressing.
By the end of the one-act play I was crying my eyes out - it is quite
simply terrific.
Equally impressive, after the interval we are introduced to Train
Spotter Supreme Gus Gascoigne, played by Martin Holtom.
For 40 minutes we learn the intricacies of a train spotter's life, and
why Gus has an anorak of fire.
We laugh, we nod disapprovingly and we pity this individual's plight on
the railway station platforms of the country.
Martin judges his performance superbly and is not afraid to leave the
audience guessing over the long pauses in this equally fulfilling
entertainment.
My only gripe? Why aren't there more people in the audience? Please make
time to see this company shine...and don't be afraid to cry.
Andy Potter
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