The Valley Troupers Northleigh
Formed in 1992, The Valley Troupers have staged a wide variety of productions at Northleigh's Village Hall. A one-night entertainment at the Harvest supper that year has grown into a regular annual production. We are always looking for members, so if you are interested in acting or helping behind the scenes, do get in touch. Rehearsals at Northleigh's village hall usually start at 7.45pm each Thursday evening from mid September until performance dates in late March or early April. Ask any member of the Troupers for details of the current production.
Midweek Herald,Caxton House, East Street, Sidmouth EXI0 5BL.Tel: (0395)515191 Clubs & Societies,June 30th 1993
More Tea Vicar
Contact Email: Troupers@gmx.com
Strange goings-on in Marshford Bottom NORTHLEIGH Village Hall was the setting for a tale of crime, romance and masquerade, writes Fiona Taylor.
In its first full length production, the Valley Troupers delivered a spirited performance of Paul Haines' comedy, More Tea, Vicar?
This contemporary piece is set in the sleepy village of Marshford Bottom, where the village is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new vicar, The Reverend Leslie Francis Johnson. The rural calm is shattered when two incompetent burglars crash their stolen getaway car and hide their booty in the local manor house, belonging to Lady Elizabeth (Tara Huffman) and the bumbling Sir Charles Lymington (Alan White).
News of the accident is heralded by Peter (Edward Platt), a cheeky schoolboy truant. To escape detection, the misfits steal a change of clothing from the empty vicarage. Jon (Roger Tucker), the younger of the two, assumes the guise of the new vicar while his cockney partner, Fred (John Platt), displays his, not inconsiderable, assets in a snugly fitting Morris Dancing outfit. Fred leaves Jon to hold the fort while he escapes by train in order to arrange some way of retrieving both Jon and the stolen box. Although the daughter of the house, Vicky (Fiona Taylor), is witness to the break in at the vicarage, she maintains the pretence of ignorance because she has a penchant for 'mature' men and has set her sights on the new 'vicar.'
Her parents, however, are taken in by Jon's disguise, as is the village snob, Mrs Weston-Smyth (Barbara Faraday), and are delighted at the prospect of having the new vicar as their son-in-law. When Mrs Leslie Johnson (Mandy Furnival) arrives at the home to introduce herself, it is assumed by both Lady Lymington and Bridget (Maggie White) - the buxom housekeeper and true hub of the household - that she is the real vicar's wife. On learning of Mrs Johnson's arrival from Bridget, Vicky reveals her hand and coerces Jon into a promise of marriage. Fred returns in the third act, this time dressed as the bogus Bishop of Hackney. Once again, Fred's costume proved to be a source of great amusement to both audience and cast as he slowly parted company with his dog collar, which had assumed a life of its own.
When Mrs Johnson declares that she is not the vicar's wife and is, in fact, the new vicar, Jon and Fred are exposed as imposers. The local police force, in the form of the amiable PC Dobson (Ron Whitworth), is summoned and shackled to Jon by means of a set of handcuffs for which there is no key.
All ends well, however, when it transpires that Jon and Fred are actually working for a 'secret government department' and that Jon's father, who is head of the department, is an old friend of the Lymingtons. Jon and Fred leave for London with PC Dobson, having pledged their troth to Vicky and Bridget, respectively, and the play ends as the vicar is offered yet another of Bridget's endless cups of tea.
The cast obviously enjoyed themselves and this was reflected in their performance. Congratulations, nevertheless, should also be extended to Mabel Still, for her sensitive directing; Mike Faraday, for his excellent scenery; May Hunt as prompter and Don Hunt for providing the sound effects on cue