Play On! Write up (Village Buzz)
Drama and Laughter at Dinton Village Hall
The weekend of 12/13 September saw the Dinton Phoenix Theatre Company (DPTC)
bring their third amateur production to the stage. Over the two performances an
audience of 100 plus laughed and cried their way through three acts of increasing
hysteria. DPTC was set up in late 2023 and, with two successful performances under
their belts already, this was their most ambitious production to date. Play on! A comedy
by Rick Abbott is the hilarious story of a plucky amateur dramatic group trying
desperately to put on an original play ‘Murder Most Foul’ in spite of maddening
interference from a first-time author who keeps revising the script. What could possibly
go wrong?
And go wrong it did! In three Acts this ‘play within a play’ guided us through the
disastrous rehearsal, dress rehearsal and the actual performance of ‘Murder Most
Foul’, finishing with the author’s unexpected curtain call speech on the state of modern
theatre. So, with comical personality clashes, breaking props, wigs askew, a frantic
director and a tricky jewel to contend with, not to mention the diva author’s constant
interruptions, the DPTC cast gave us a truly unforgettable night of hilarity. Post event
comments include “I was crying with laughter, it just kept getting funnier the whole way
through”, “We really enjoyed the play and well done everybody. Thank you for taking
such trouble to put it on”, “Very, very funny as good as a Brian Rix farce”.
If you missed this performance, please keep your eye on the DPTC’s web site for future
productions. If you would like to join us, as an actor or backstage, you can find our
contact details there too: e-voice.org.uk/dintonphoenix
