The Argosy Players - And This Was Odd

THE ARGOSY PLAYERS - LIVERPOOL

The Argosy Players in: And This Was Odd by Kenneth Horne

Staged: 25 to 27 February 1954 at Crane Theatre Hanover Street Liverpool

The playwright and dramatist Kenneth Horne is not to be confused here with the Chad Valley toy magnate and much loved radio personality of “Round the Horne” fame. His three act play, “And This Was Odd” (which is still performed today) is chosen by Martins Bank Society of The Arts at the last minute to replace a planned chorul production, and so the Argosy Players must step up to the plate, take centre stage, and dazzle the audience. We are delighted to have this accompanying image of the original programme for “And This Was Odd” (price sixpence!) from the collection of Beryl Creer. For what is very much a last minute affair, the production is quite well received, although when Martins Bank Magazine publishes its review, along with several photographs, in its Summer 1953 Edition, it does describe the play itself as “slight”, commenting that “most people would have enjoyed something with more meat in it”!

1953 01.jpg THE Spring production of the Society of the Arts has, since the Society was formed at the end of the war, been the responsibility of the Music Section, but this year, owing to casting and chorus difficulties, no production was possible and in order to maintain the theatre booking the Argosy Players stepped into the breach at fairly short notice and presented Kenneth Horne’s three-act comedy “And This Was Odd”. Production was at the Crane Theatre for three nights, February 25th, 26th and 27th. The choice of play was partly the responsibility of Howell Jones, who was to have been the producer and we are very sorry to record his withdrawal from the production owing to serious illness which will keep him away from work for some months.

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Left to Right: W Brookes, Dawn Rimmer, Arthur Westall,

Mary Nelson, Jean Boothman, Thea Bower and Barbara Phillips

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Bill Brookes

and Jean Boothman

The bright side to this unfortunate occurrence, however, has been the ‘discovery’' of Arthur Westall, who took over the production and also one of the parts. He has considerable acting experience and as a producer he won the enthusiastic support of the entire company for his calm and competent handling of the production. We are very pleased indeed to have his active interest in the Society. The play itself is somewhat slight and most people would have enjoyed something with a little more ' meat' in it, though it ran in the West End in 1951. But there wasn't very much time available when the Argosy Players took over the dates, and, anticipating the above comment a note had been printed on the back of the programme insisting that on no account should the play be taken seriously, as its sole object was to entertain. The plot centres round the improbable idea of the spirit being able to leave the body when the latter is asleep and go where it will. Thea Bower played the part of the grandmother possessed of this unruly spirit, and her obvious enjoyment of the part communicated itself to her audience most successfully.

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Left to Right: Maud Melville, Thea Bower

and Mary Nelson

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Left to Right: Arthur Westall, Mary Nelson, W Brookes,

Dawn Rimmer, Thea Bower, and Barbara Phillips.

Jean Boothman played the part of nurse to the old lady and her impersonation of that ‘difficult’ type who can't be happy unless she is bludgeoning everyone else into a semblance of happiness left nothing to be desired. Barbara Phillips gets full marks for her portrayal of the somewhat forlorn whingeing aunt, especially commendable to those who know what a bright little person she is herself. Maud Melville was in her element as the hearty, horsey, loud check tweedy Lady Wilson, and we were sorry that her part was such a small one. The laugh which she had cultivated specially for the occasion was even more telling than her lines. Arthur Westall had a quiet, unobtrusive part, depending for its effectiveness upon his capacity to keep on looking miserable and hag-ridden. He did it perfectly and revealed in his performance his experience and capability: he is an amateur of no mean talent. Dawn Rimmer, as the girl who keeps on making him miserable, also put up a good show and Duncan Milne hit off the part of the man servant who is not above helping himself to his master's whisky with quite wicked authenticity. Mary Nelson, appearing in a straight play for the first tims, is to be congratulated on a very natural and polished portrayal of the part of the mother. Bill Brookes played opposite Mary, as the father who has the affair with the nurse. It was a part which demanded very hard work to keep things moving, but Bill is always at his best when he has to move about and ' do' things on the stage and the part was in safe keeping with him.