No drama festival but the show must go on – radio
Arran Sound hosts this year’s varied offerings
With the popular Arran Drama Festival cancelled this year there was an attempt to at least harness some of the spirit of the event with a radio play festival held by the Arran Drama Association committee last weekend, writes Alice Maxwell.
Seven radio plays, which were performed on Arran Sound, were staged over the two days of the festival on February 26 and 27.
This was a non-competitive event and if you missed the fun and talent provided by the Arran actors, the plays are still available on the radio station catch up service for another week on arransound.com
Sleuth School
The festival began with Sleuth School – a play written by Arran’s Andy McNamara, his third play to be performed by Whiting Bay Drama to date. Five of the world’s most famous detectives meet for a ‘private detective revalidation course’.
These are Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s Hercules Poirot and Miss Marple, Velma from Scooby Do and Ann Barnard of The Famous Five.
The course is run by a rather suspicious character who calls himself Mr James. He sets the detectives a mystery to solve and if they fail they will never be able to work again.
The detectives outwit Mr James and not only do they solve the mystery, but they reveal him to be Holmes’ nemesis – Professor James Moriarty.
Forever on Hold
Forever on Hold by D M Larson was performed by Sheila Gilmour on behalf of Shiskine Drama Club.
This describes the frustration of being put on hold by call centres – listening to endless nonsense about websites and how many minutes you have left to wait and being faced with a ‘maze of number options’.
At last, you get through to a human being, only to find it’s the wrong department and you have to start all over again. Yes, we have all been there.
Around the Fridge in 80 Calories
Around the Fridge in 80 Calories, by Cheryl Barret, was performed by Jerry Arthur for Shiskine Drama Group. An unfortunate dieter is trying her best to lose weight with the help of a slimming expert, Gloria. Unfortunately, the dieter has neither the will power or inclination to follow Gloria’s instructions and by the end she decides that ‘fatties have more fun’ and a ‘balanced diet’ means a piece of chocolate cake in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.
String Road Romance
String Road Romance was written and performed by another Arran local, Elizabeth Ross of Shiskine SWI drama group. Elizabeth is a talented, humorous poet and describes a love affair between two youngsters, who rely on the 223 bus travelling over the String for their secret rendezvous.
When the North Ayrshire Council closes the road, their relationship takes a turn for the worse.
The Helpline
The Helpline was written by Chris, Jan and Graeme Attkins, with input from Andy McNamara and Cathy Welsh. It was performed by Whiting Bay Drama.
Two Covid helpline counsellors are besieged with weird and wonderful phone calls.
Cinderella and the Wellington
Cinderella and the Wellington was written and performed by Alice Maxwell of Whiting Bay Drama – a short, humorous monologue with a sporting Birmingham accent.
Party Time
Party Time by Eileen Brandon was performed by Shiskine SWI Drama Group.
An assortment of ladies and one gent attempt to arrange a party for the Grandads’ Club. One lady has a dreadful cold, one is tipsy and a third is dreadfully bossy so, of course, chaos ensues as the assembly argue and stray off the point.
The pages of the Arran Banner should this week be bursting with photographs and reports from Arran Drama Festival.
Unfortunately, like everything else, it has been cancelled this year.
So what better than to have a special 20 years ago look-back at the 2001 festival.