CONGRATULATIONS to the Riverside Drama Company, firstly for being the first group to perform plays in the refurbished
Devonshire Studio Theatre, Chatsworth Centre. Secondly, entertaining their audiences brilliantly with their choice of three
one act plays.

In the first play, Chinamen, by Michael Frayn, Jo and Stephen, are giving a dinner party for their friends, four couples.
Unfortunately one couple, Barney and Bee, have split, but Jo has invited Alex, Bee's new partner. Stephen wasn't listening
when she told him, and invited Barney... Whoops! Two excellent performances by Sarah Dagley, as Jo, and Paul Norris, as Stephen.

Chaos reigns, when realization dawns on Jo, Barney and Alex, must be kept apart, especially when the first guests to arrive are Bee and Alex. Barney bursts in through the back door, bemoaning his lot, and says that it's wonderful to have two friends who understand him. Jo panics and shoves him in the kitchen. A superb performance of Barney by Paul Norris.

Things get dodgy, when Alex, a real hippy guy, long black hair and wearing beads, wants the loo. A surprising and excellent portrayal by Sarah Dagley.

Meanwhile, Bee, who is known to cry at the-drop of a hat, comes in to talk to Stephen, and cries on his shoulder, again,
another first class performance by Sarah.

After much dashing about, serving dinner in the lounge, (Barney's in the kitchen) and keeping the two chaps apart, the guests finally depart. Jo and Stephen congratulate themselves on a perfect evening.

This was Sarah's first performance with Riverside. Chinamen was directed by Liz Turner.

THE second play, The Help Committee Try Again, by Peter Assinder. The arrival of the vicar, and his wife, are eagerly
awaited, and a help committee has been set up to clean the vicarage, which is rumoured to be haunted.

A ghost glides around the furniture covered In dust sheets... Oh yes, it's haunted! A lovely spooky performance of the ghost, by Robert Osmond. On hearing the ladies arvive, he stands against the wall, they think he's a hatstand.

Mrs Purbright, has appointed herself as leader and gives out jobs to the other two, Mrs Prout, and Miss Wix. All these parts
were played superbly by Emjay Sadler, as Mrs Purbright (nice to Emjay perform again) Mrs Prout, by Moya Magee, and Miss Wix by Claire Smith.

As Mrs Prout whips off the dust covers, the cheeky ghost follows close behind her. She suddenly gets the creeps, and flies
out, while he dives under the table.

Mrs Purbright comes and sits at the table making a list, a thoughtfully, taps her pen on the table, and the ghost taps back!
She's shocked, but delighted. 'Is there anyone there?' The ghostly voice answers "Yes".

The others come In, also a rather strange lady enters, they assume she must be the vicar's wife. She asks 'Where's Joseph? Have you seen Joseph?' Then she walks out. The three ladles were rather puzzled, the vicar wasn't expected until much later... Must've been a change of plan. A lovely weird performance of the 'wife' by Maggie Millington.

The phone rings, it's the vicar, they won't be arriving until even later. She who had just been in? The 'wife' glides back in
with the ghost in tow. With a smile she says, "I've found Joseph"... Whoo whooo...

This very funny play was directed by Pat Clarke.

AFTER the interval, came, Man of Letters, by Tim Firth, Frank and Ellen stagger up onto the roof, carefully carrying a large
capital letter 'F', and place it to one side.

Frank, played superbly by Martin Holtom, always wanted to be a man of letters, but these letters weren't exactly what he'd
intended, his ambition was to be a novelist, and write spy stories. He tried, but all his manuscripts were turned down, all
except for an article he'd written for The Yorkshire Post, about moles... (Not the spy sort). He sent his trainee, Ellen down
to fetch more letters, which, when erected were to spell out, "Forshaw', the name of the firm he worked for.

An outstanding performance of Ellen, by Hannah Coleman, in her first role with Riverside. She comes up with half an aitch, a couple of 'u's (small case) an 'o', 'e' 'a' and 'r'. "They're all I could find" she said.

Frustrated Frank, decides he wants a cup of tea, and a biscuit. While Ellen goes to do his bidding, he arranges what letters he has, even to making a capital 'S' out of two 'u's, and spells out 'For Sale'. He's more depressed than ever, especially when the only biscuit he has, is half a digestive... while she munches on a Twix.

Poor Frank, spills out all his troubles to her, she listens sympathetically, throwing in the odd hilarious remark. Ellen is a
clever girl, university material, Frank tells her not to waste her chance. She tells him to go down and look at the letters
from across the street. While he's gone, she rearranges the letters to spell out 'FRANK', having used the half aitch and puts the 'r' sideways to make the 'K'. She turns on the switch, Frank has his name in lights! An audible 'Ah" from the audience. A super ending to an excellent play, which was directed by Sylvia Holmes, making her debut as director with Riverside.

By June Barker.