Martins Bank Players (North Eastern) - 1963 The Amorous Prawn

MARTINS BANK PLAYERS (NORTH EASTERN)

Martins Bank Players (North Eastern) in The Amorous Prawn by Anthony Kimmins

Staged: 10 to ? November 1963 at The Little Theatre Gateshead

To have FIVE amateur dramatic and/or operatic groups all with healthy memberships is an amazing achievement for the Staff of Martins Bank. In the North East, Martins Bank Players (North Eastern) stage regular productions to rival and often emulate those put on by their counterparts the Cicala Players in London and the Argosy Players in Liverpool. 1963 is an important year for Martins Bank, as it marks four hundred years since the establishment of a banking business in Lombard Street, London, by Sir Thomas Gresham.

For their Autumn Production, the North Eastern Players choose a three-act comedy – The Amorous Prawn. It seems no topic is off limits to these adventurous actors and actresses, and if a comedy CAN include The War Office, American atomic weapons testing AND fishing (?), this one really DOES! The North Eastern Players also have a secret weapon when it comes to those who produce their plays, in the form of Nora Wilkie who, with The Amorous Prawn is in charge of her eighth or ninth stint at producer. With her husband as stage-manager, Nora is credited with “a lively production”- Martins Bank Magazine takes up the story…

1963 04.jpg TITLES of plays, like those of films and books, are so often misleading that they no longer arouse comment. Anthony Kimmins, however, in naming his three-act comedy was, it seems, prepared to admit to a somewhat fishy plot. The scene throughout is the living room of Glenmally House, Argyll, the official residence of the General Officer Commanding, North Western District. The G.O.C., dismayed by the disinclination of the War Office to assist with his 'removal expenses' on his impending retirement, sets off to study atom tests in America, leaving his wife and staff in residence. The General, played by Bill Surtees, began as a somewhat Blimpish character, but departed from the scene fairly early in the play, having first ensured that the audience would feel sympathetic to his plight.

Left to right: Bill and Gwen Surtees, Stephen Fitters, Robin Hunt, Donald Sargeant, Donald Thompson, Jimmy Lindsay and Sylvia King

From that point the goings-on become fishier and fishier. The General's wife, played convincingly and charmingly by Gwen Surtees in her first appearance on the stage, is not the sort to let the War Office escape what she regards as a fair responsibility and, conveniently inspired by a letter addressed to the previous tenant, Prawn, which cannot be redirected, proceeds to turn the residence unobtrusively into an exclusive guest house—with fishing as additional bait—to earn the money which she feels is her and her husband's due. At this point we had already encountered the 'fly' Corporal Sydney Green, responsible for the General's house staff of four.

Jimmy Lindsay, complete with cockney accent, made an immediate impact with his plausibly smart and soldier-like manner which could be switched on or off at will. His was a difficult part calling not only for a real sense of comedy but for split second timing in gestures, expression and repartee and, while one expected him to fall foul of authority at any moment in his unaccustomed role of butler, one felt hugely relieved that he got away with it. Pat Johnson and Sylvia King, as the two WRAC members of the General's staff, who became ladies out of uniform as housemaid and chambermaid, did very well as foils and Sylvia King had a chance to shine as the pert, flirtatious 'honey', relentlessly hunted by one of the American visitors. Of the remaining army staff, Peter Prest's Private Albert Muggins, turned gillie for the rich Americans, was a likeable portrayal of the 'old sweat', disillusioned and regimented to the point where his reaction to anything unusual is to spring to attention and say 'sah!' His big moment, when, wearing the General's hat and distinctly the worse for drink, he recited Kipling's 'If, was a masterpiece.		Below: Bill and Gwen Surtees, Jimmy Lindsay, Peter Prest, Gordon Fidler, Pat Johnson and Sylvia King
Many people can 'play' drunk but few can successfully 'act' drunk. Private Willie Maltravers, cook turned chef (and what a waste of culinary wizardry his army life had been!) was most amusingly put over by Gordon Fidler.
Right: Gordon Fidler, Pat Johnson and Sylvia King	We were relieved to meet him later and find that his prissy stage manner was, in fact, adopted and not, as we had feared, the result of the Bank installing Baby Sellings in staff rest-rooms. These five army characters in civilian garb coped with and duped Sam Goulansky, a pathologically woman-conscious American angler played with restrained lechery by Donald Thompson, and Larry Hoffman his cheerful, easy-going, mom-conscious, fellow salmon-chaser, played by Donald Sargeant, of whom we could have seen more. Alas, Larry's aspirations for the General's wife were halted abruptly by the Prawn's arrival at the guest house and by the General's unexpected return. That circumstances had to be contrived to make the General an accomplice did not detract from the amusement, yet, when it was revealed that the Prawn was in reality the Secretary of State for War, with a bogus wife in the background, the comedy could have degenerated into farce. However, Stephen Futers as the Prawn proved to be a crafty, humourless piece of work. His disreputable goings-on thus brought out the best in Bill Surtees' General and, in the last act, he grew both in military and moral stature. He proved to be a pretty good chap and with the help of his wife who, with her plans awry, turned womanlike to righteous indignation, finally won the day. There was one other character—Uncle Joe, the salmon poacher. We had heard of him. We even heard bloodhounds after him but, in the way of true poachers, he kept out of sight until the very last moment and even then, he had nothing to say.

Poor Robin Hunt! Nora Wilkie ably produced a lively show, which was stage-managed by her husband, and the cast made the most of the hilarious situations. Altogether a most enjoyable evening.