Review of Saturdays Plays
By Anthony Lawler
The final evening of the festival offered two very different but equally compelling pieces of theatre, bringing the event to a thoughtful and entertaining close. The first play, A Matter of Husbands by Ferenc Molnár, performed by Cobbled Heights and co-directed by Laura Jones and Kathryn Ellen Cawte, delivered a witty and engaging comedy of suspicion and misdirection.
The story centres on a young wife convinced that her husband is in love with a famous actress and, determined to uncover the truth, waits outside the stage door before eventually confronting the actress in her dressing room.
The set made effective use of period furniture, with a centrally placed door separating the outside area from the dressing room and clearly defining the playing spaces. Laura Jones, as the self-assured Famous Actress, brought calm confidence and sharp comic timing to the role, while Kathryn Ellen Cawte, playing the earnest young wife, delivered a performance full of emotional intensity, particularly during her dramatic breakdown which became one of the standout moments of the play.
The dialogue moves briskly between accusation and rebuttal as the actress cleverly twists the narrative in her favour, culminating in the reveal that the supposedly unfaithful husband has been hiding in the room all along, leaving the audience in no doubt where the truth really lies. Molnár’s elegant language was well handled, and the additional monologues written by the directors blended seamlessly with the original text, providing several gentle laughs that were warmly received by the audience.
The second play of the evening, Blood of the Lamb by Arlene Hutton, was presented by Rushen Players and directed by Sarah Lockyer, shifting the tone dramatically to a powerful and thought-provoking contemporary drama.
The play explores the complex legal and moral implications of legislation in Texas that requires a deceased fetus to be carried to term as an unborn citizen of the state. The staging was deliberately minimal, allowing the focus to remain firmly on the dialogue between the two characters. A simple set consisting of a table, laptop and two doors created a stark institutional setting, reinforced by sterile white lighting that reflected the clinical environment of the story.
Robyn Hughes, as Nessa, and Ailsa Harrop, as Val, delivered a compelling two-hander filled with sharp dialogue and emotional depth. Hughes portrayed Nessa’s confusion, fear and growing desperation as it becomes clear that her medical emergency forced the flight she was on to divert to Texas, where she lost her baby but is legally unable to leave while the body remains inside her.
Harrop’s portrayal of Val, a lawyer tasked with representing the legal rights of the unborn child, was equally strong, with a convincing Texas drawl and a nuanced performance that captured the character’s internal struggle between professional duty and personal morality. As the story unfolds, Val grapples with both the complexities of new legislation and her own past decisions, ultimately reaching a point where she chooses to help Nessa despite the legal consequences. While the subject matter is serious and deeply current, the script allows moments of subtle humour that offered the audience brief relief from the intensity.
The evening brought a fitting close to four nights of varied and engaging theatre. Across the Festival audiences experienced a wide spectrum of work, from light-hearted comedy to powerful contemporary drama. The inclusion of three youth performances earlier in the week added further variety, with the youngest performer taking to the stage at just eight years old. Throughout the Festival, adjudicator Sue Doherty provided thoughtful and structured feedback to all participating companies, offering valuable insight for directors, writers and performers alike. Her detailed adjudications were clearly appreciated by participants and remain one of the most valuable aspects of the festival experience.
