Shakers Re-Stirred by John Godber and Jane Thornton, directed by Margery Jackson
EBOS, Pinewood Theatre
Wednesday, March 23 until Saturday, March 26
PLAYING one character in a play is usually enough for most actors.
But not for the gals at the East Berkshire Operatic Society, oh no. They can take playing two, three, four different characters, all in the space of one act. That’s quite a feat for any actor.
Set in a not-so-chic cocktail bar in 1980s London, Shakers Re-Stirred by John Godber and Jane Thornton is a candid look at at typical night for the staff and customers, following them all through from doors open to last orders. We meet Adele (Gemma Galliers), Carol (Emily Austin), Nicky (Laura Hartley) and Mel (Natalie Hayllor) who guide the audience through the pitfalls of working in ‘the bar from hell’, as well taking on the personas of a giggly group of young supermarket workers celebrating a 21st birthday, well-to-do theatre-goers returning popping in for a drink after the show, and a group of yuppy city-workers avoiding dinner with the in-laws.
Fast-paced and full of laughs, Shakers is a big ask for the four young actresses but they maintain their professionalism throughout. Moving from character to character (often from female to male and back again) seamlessly through changes of accents, mannerisms and occasionally accessories, the action is easier to follow than one might expect.
Nestled in amongst the belly laughs, however, we find tender moments of honesty from each of the four main characters: Adele is a struggling single parents; Carol longs for a career in photography; Nicky is secretly terrified of setting off on her new career as a dancer on a cruise ship; and Mel is haunted by an abortion she had when she was 16. The characters deliver extensive monologues to the audience, fraught with emotion and uncomfortably raw as the lighting is stripped back to a single spotlight. The audience are given an insight to the pain behind the smiles the characters are forced to wear night in, night out for customers who treat them like dirt.
Adding a bit of comic relief are the recurring characters of the supermarket girls. We watch them at work, in the Topshop dressing room, and getting ready for their big night out before ending the night a little worse for wear. The cast do a fantastic job of allowing the audience to connect with these characters, even though their appearances are fleeting.
What I particularly liked about this performance was the cast’s ability to suspend the audience’s belief throughout. Slipping between characters and scenes can become arduous if the characters are bogged down with too many props, so instead director Margery Jackson has opted for a stripped-down set, with the Shakers bar as the main focus, and just a couple of tables and chairs with which to work. I admit, at first I found the ‘pretend’ drinking out of an imaginary cocktail glass a little off-putting, but as the play goes on, your attention is fixed on the characters, rather than what is or isn’t in their hand. This and the simple costume choices I think really add to the impact of the performance.
The characters all bring their own unique flavour to the pot, with Hayllor claiming the most laughs with her bold as brass Mel; Austin stealing the limelight with her witty one-liners and brilliant male characters; Hartley with her fantastic accents; and Galliers playing the role of the stressed-out, uptight single mother with ease.
The cast and crew showed incredible professionalism in front of a packed out, opening night audience, with very little in the way of nerves or slip-ups (or none that I noticed!), and it is easy to see why tickets have almost completely sold out. If you’re looking for a break from all the chocolate and Easter goings-on this weekend, then get yourself down to Pinewood Theatre, you won’t be disappointed.
Tickets are £11 and available to order from www.ebos.org.uk.
