Martins Bank Players (North Eastern) - 1958 The Reluctant Debutante

MARTINS BANK PLAYERS (NORTH EASTERN)

Martins Bank Players (North-Eastern) in The Reluctant Debutante by William Douglas Home

Staged: 4 to 8 November 1958 at the Little Theatre Gateshead

The North Eastern Players have had to take some time out – bad, from the point of view that difficulties finding a cast meant no performances for either 1956 or 1957, but also good, as it gives them time to re-group, find a meaty drama to get their teeth into, and return victorious in 1958. Broadly, things do work out like that, and thanks to the determination of actor/producer Nora Wilkie, Martins Bank Players North Eastern are back on their feet and entertaining audiences once more in 1958 with W Douglas Home’s “The Reluctant Debutante”.

The play’s description as a light almost farcical comedy masks the fact that it is accepted to be a very difficult play for amateurs to perform. The question is, do our Players step up to the plate and achieve another success? Well yes, they do, and with the talents of Margaret Crump, which have long since been applauded by Martins Bank Magazine, the group’s return to the stage is achieved in style, and the performance compares favourably with other recent productions of the same play, including one by a professional theatre group…

We are very pleased to record that after last year’s suspension of activities owing to casting difficulties, the North Eastern Players staged a come-back this autumn, due in no small measure to the immense effort made by Nora Wilkie, their producer. Not content with the problem of training a company, five out of eight of whom had never acted before, she chose the immensely difficult play for amateurs “ The Reluctant Debutante” by William Douglas Home, which was professionally produced in Newcastle only a few months ago and had been produced several times by amateurs in the area in recent weeks, once at the same theatre, the Little Theatre, Gateshead, less than a month before. The first act depends for its success on speed.
Judith Martin Malcolm Binns Blanche Blaylock Margaret Crump Doris Heron Michael Walker and Patricia Brown
The interminable telephone conversations and the lack of happenings could easily turn the whole thing into a bore, but fortunately for the production the part of the doting mother was handled by Margaret Crump, a most experienced member of the company. We have seen Margaret now in a variety of roles and have been greatly impressed by her versatility. This was something different again for her and the whole play depended upon her. We have never seen her give a better performance. John Halford played the part of the father and he was so natural that it was hard to believe that this was his first stage appearance. He restrained the temptation to exaggerate, which would have been all too easy, playing opposite the somewhat boring mother, and instead he portrayed the part with a kindly half-amused tolerance which was just right. The debutante daughter, played by Patricia Brown, gave a lovely and natural portrayal of a young girl who wants to lead her own life and hates being fussed over and having things “ arranged ” for her. We suspect that the part did not call for the exercise of much dramatic talent! Pat had only to be her own fresh and charming self to get away with it, as she undoubtedly did. The same could be said for Judith Martin, the other debutante, who did all that was required of her most acceptably and looked very satisfyingly decorative at the same time. The part of the mother of the second debutante was in the hands of Blanche Blaylock, another experienced player.
Margaret Crump and Patricia Brown	John Halford and Patricia Brown
It isn't as easy as some people think to portray “cattiness” subtly, and to do so in any other way is intolerably crude. Blanche Blaylock struck just the right note and contributed most notably to a very difficult scene. The parts of the two suitors were admirably chosen and played by Malcolm Binns and Michael Walker. Malcolm as the infatuated but totally inexperienced suitor was almost too clumsy in his approaches to be true, and admirably foiled the more polished man-of-the-world performance of Michael Walker. The two portrayals dovetailed beautifully and for first performances the two players deserve high praise. The part of the maid was played by Doris Heron. Unlike some maids, this part gave no scope at all for being anything but that of the announcer of guests, but there is an art even in this and her quiet unobtrusiveness earned full marks. She, also, has appeared before. The play was well supported during the week of its run, November 4th to 8th, and even on the first nights, which are notably thin, there was quite a good audience.