Marlowe Players are back and claiming a city first with show
ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS AT THE VICARAGE AS DERBY GROUP TAKE ON ACCLAIMED AND POIGNANT COMEDY FOR THEIR LATEST PRODUCTION
DERBY’S Marlowe Players’ new production, Richard Everett’s Entertaining Angels, has never been put on in the city before – even though when it premiered it was seen by a record-breaking 26,000 people in just over three weeks.
The play opened the Chichester Festival season in 2006 with Penelope Keith in the lead role, The Sunday Times writing that “Richard Everett has written a warm, glowing, serious comedy, like an Ayckbourn play finished by J M Barrie”.
A sell-out UK tour followed, with more than 100,000 people seeing Everett’s play. Since then it has been performed all over the world – including Switzerland, Israel, South Africa and New Zealand.
In Derby, the Marlowes will present the play from Tuesday to Saturday, July 19-23, at Darley Abbey Village Hall (8pm).
Director David Jones, who returned to the Marlowes three years ago, says the play will be a vast contrast to the last two productions performed by the group, which were murder mysteries by Agatha Christie, Towards Zero earlier this year, and And Then There Were None in 2019.
He describes Entertaining Angels as a “rollercoaster of emotions with highs and lows and a couple of twists”.
He says: “I chose it because it’s different from the usual plays that local groups do. It will be interesting and challenging for the actors to bring their characters’ emotions to life.”
Entertaining Angels is set in a vicarage where you would expect everything to be tranquil, peaceful and harmonious. But not at this vicarage.
After 30 years’ dutiful service Grace, the vicar’s wife, who has “poured 200,000 cups of tea, baked 4,600 mediumsized quiches and personally made two tons of shortcrust pastry”, is not behaving with dignity after her husband’s death – she is embracing her newfound freedom to do and say exactly as she pleases.
With the arrival of the new vicar, Grace gradually comes to terms with the fact that she will eventually have to leave the vicarage, her home for the past three decades, and her memories. She stays in control through her quick-witted and acidtongued humour.
But she is tested when disturbing revelations are revealed by her eccentric missionary sister Ruth. David says: “I’m working with a great bunch of talented people on stage and backstage.”
The Marlowes last performed a Richard Everett play in 2015: Present From The Past. It was directed by Martin Illston, who coincidentally also directed another Everett play, Happy Event, which was presented in the studio at what was then known as Derby Playhouse in 1995.
In Entertaining Angels, Martin plays Bardolph. Speaking about Everett the playwright, Martin says: “He’s got some very funny lines. His characters are quite believable. There are lots of surprises as Entertaining Angels goes on, which is true of all three plays that the Marlowes have produced.”
How does Martin feel about being the only man in Entertaining Angels? “It’s going to be a very quiet changing room with lots of space!”
Wendy Beric who plays the new vicar, Sarah, is appearing in her third Everett play. “It was brilliant,” she says of Happy Event.
“We fell about laughing during rehearsals, it was so funny.
“Present from the Past was funny too but, like Entertaining Angels, there are a lot of poignant lines in it.
“Richard Everett is very insightful. He doesn’t make light of situations – he goes deep into people’s emotions.”
David Jones adds: “I feel very proud and privileged to be given the opportunity to direct for the Marlowe Players.
“Over the years I’ve gained experience in performing and directing with various amateur groups around Derby, and now I’m directing for the Marlowes – a complete circle.
“Rehearsals have been enjoyable and fun, which makes my job easy.”