'FLATSPIN' was a winner for the Riverside Drama Company when they presented the Alan Ayckbourn play at St John's Church Hall. 
Rosie, an actress, is in between parts so is taking over her uncle's job as caretaker for luxury apartments in London's Docklands, while he recovers from an accident. 

Annette Sefton-Wilcox instructs her to water the plants, feed the fish etc, and says the owner of this apartment, Joanna, is away most of the time. 

Annette was played well by Pat Clarke. 

A brilliant portrayal of Rosie by Lizzie O'Hara. Rosie likes this place and decides to become Joanna for a while, at least until she hears from her agent as to whether or not she landed the part she'd auditioned for. 

The phone rings, wrong number, a knock at the door, and the lady standing there asks who she is. 'Joanna', lies Rosie, and gets rid of her. 

Her mobile rings, her agent with bad news, she hasn't got the part. 

Another knock at the door and there stands Sam, who claims he lives in the next apartment. They quickly become friends. Sam was played with excellence by Paul Norris. 

He asks her out for a meal, but decides to cook for her instead. Rosie is thrilled, gets a bit drunk and goes into the bedroom to slip into 'something more comfortable'. But Sam's phone rings and he makes a hasty exit.

Then things go from bad to worse for Rosie, as she's suddenly invaded by two rather menacing characters, Tracy Taylor, looking rather like a Nazi SS, and Maurice Wickett, who was obviously in charge. 

These two parts were played superbly by Sylvia Holmes and Martin Holtom.

Rosie, still playing Joanna, is in deep trouble from Tracy, because, however unwittingly, she has taken the part of Joanna which Tracy had trained for months to have. It appears that Joanna doesn't really exist, and the apartment is used for certain types of merchandise to be exchanged for cash, it's also bugged and has hidden cameras.

But as the mysteriously lady caller has seen Rosie, she is landed with the part. Tracy is furious, and Rosie, for her life's sake, has to agree to do what they ask. 

Sam returns. It seems he is part of the organisation. Rosie is told that a certain Edna Stricken will come with a case of merchandise, which, when checked, an identical case full of cash hidden in the coffee table will be handed over. 

They leave her with a bodyguard, an ex SAS soldier Tommy Angel, who will defend her to the death ... He's invincible! 
This was a hilarious, outstanding performance by John Lomas. While she does her relaxing exercises, he does his warm up ones. The effect is amazingly funny, he invites her to try and hit him with a small truncheon, an impossibility of course. 
She catches him off guard and clonks him on the head and he's out for the count. 

Edna arrives with the case. It contains a box with make-up, but when Rosie checks she discovers packets of drugs under the box, but as agreed, hands over the case containing the cash, only it's empty!

Edna attacks Rosie when the 'three musketeers' arrive in time to save her. They drag off Edna, and Tommy comes round. A very good performance of Edna by Janet Bradbery. 

Sam and Rosie, alone, decide to continue where they left off. While she's changing, he takes out another case from the table. It's full of money. He hides it behind the bar. While they are in the bedroom Tracy and Maurice sneak back in and pinch the loot. 

A wonderful evening's entertainment. The play was directed by Liz Turner, ably assisted by Joanna East. 

June Barker