The Guild Theatre’s first production for the year is an offbeat farce from the prolific late American playwright John Patrick.
The play features a clever premise. The main character, Myra Marlowe, is a middle-aged Hollywood television actress who has the urge to get it away from it all.
She rents a house in New England with the aim of taking time out to write her life story, live the country life, and even grow some tomatoes.
Myra tries to settle in to her new life however she soon finds out that privacy is going to be an issue. A colourful array of local characters, including two ladies who call themselves the ‘hospitality sisters’, keep on knocking on her door, wanting to spend time with her. Her home becomes like the local drop in centre.
Myra decides to come up with a ruse. She tells everyone that she has a maniacal, aggressive sister staying in the upstairs bedroom who could storm out at any time and put their lives at risk.
Rather than being put off by this, the locals are rather intrigued. Myra puts her acting talents to good use by at appropriate times leaving the living room and then returning through the second bedroom with a costume change and wig, transforming into her crazy sister Sadie.
What she doesn’t count on is that the locals grow to like Sadie and one amongst them even gets to fall in love with her! Will Myra ever get the chance to write her life story?!
This fanciful show, directed by veteran Guild Director Rachel Cliffe, felt a little old fashioned and dated, though it was not without its charm.
The show’s main appeal lay in its rather wry, homespun humour, and Patrick’s array of colourful, eccentric characters, neatly performed by the cast.
Veteran Guild performer Anne McMaster, now in her 41st year with the theatre, gave endearing dual performances as the good natured though frazzled Myra and her imagined crazy sister Sadie. She did well in a big role, with plenty of dialogue, and little time off stage.
Pauline Randall showed some nice comic touches as the regularly sozzled on Scotch town gossip, Cora Gump. Kim Jones was great fun as the wacky, hippy/spiritualist Willa Mae Wilcox.
Barry McMaster gave an appealing performance as Myra’s flirty, ‘old gentleman school agent’, Tom Lamond. Mcmaster looked snazzy in his red bow tie.
George Gleeson gave a very droll performance as Piney, a handyman with an axe always at his side. Piney doesn’t have much to say but you always know what he is thinking!
Sally Whiteley played nosey parker Reba Harper and James Carter came on late in the piece as the town sheriff.
David Pointon and Pauline Randall’s finely detailed set of Myra’s apartment impressed and included hanging plants, lace tablecloths, trophies on the mantelpiece, a floral sofa, a fireplace, and a stained glass door.
Wardrobe was old country style with some eye catching hats on display.
For the music score, some old style music played through the theatre’s speakers.
Summing up, A BAD YEAR FOR TOMATOES didn’t reach any great heights. This was a pleasant enough serving of character based comedy with some skilfull plotting.
The Guild Theatre’s production of A BAD YEAR FOR TOMATOES is playing until the 10th March, 2018.