Pull the Other One - performed June 2001
By Norman Robbins
Performed with the kind permission of Samuel French - London
Director - Nigel Rowe
Nigel came along for auditions for Edge of Darkness and took the role of Inspector, then
I'll Get My Man, Good Companions, Fiddler on the Roof as Fyedka and Bill Sykes in Oliver.
The Inspector in An Inspector Calls and Bob Cratchit in Scrooge.
This is Nigel's first timie directing for Manifest although he is no stranger to directing, being a member of
Bromley Pantomime Group for more years than he can print, during which time he has done everything there
is to do, both on and off stage. He has co-written and staged many shows including the Debbie Millar Stage
Shows, except no-one will allow him the role of ??? (not printed in programme - web master!)
Cast
(in order of appearance)
| Boadicea Heptinstall | Gloria Streames |
| Wilfred Taylor | Gordon Prior |
| Albert Perkins | Lester Pearse |
| Muriel Perkins | Sandra Dillon |
| Rev. Elijah Nookey | Bert Yeates |
| Virginia Brown | Lesley Mercer |
| Hilary Armitage | Chris Bush |
Production Team
Bruce Emeny, Maurice Barber, Nigel Rowe, Tom Rowe, Caroline Kobielusz, Ray Streames, Rebecca Acott, Lester Pearse.The Play
Albert Perkins is blessed with a loving wife, Muriel, and cursed with a fearsome mother-in-law, Boadicea. When his good friend Hilary Armitage writes to him reminiscing about the good times they used to have, Boadicea reads the letter and determines to remove her daughter instantly from the clutches of this sex-fiend. Albert has a hard time explaining that the letter is perfectly innocent, and anyway Hilary is a man. He isn’t helped when Hilary turns up, wearing a blonde wig and a glamorous evening dress. By the time Hilary manages to explain he’s come straight from doing his drag act at the local pub, it’s too late, Boadicea has bashed Albert with the poker. Even when he comes round, Albert’s troubles are far from over. In a weak moment, he agrees to model for a girl student at the local art school, wearing mainly a potted plant. And Hilary, anxious to make amends for the misunderstanding he has caused, offers to deputise for Albert at bell-ringing practice at St Humphrey’s. Both these acts of kindness bring disaster in their wake. Norman Robbins’ first farce is a riot from start to finish.
Reviews
Laughter the ideal cure for depression
ANYONE feeling a bit depressed or a little under the weather should go along to the Manifest Theatre in Manningtree.
They would be certain to be feeling a whole lot better and probably completely cured 2¼ hours after taking
their seat.
Within a few moments of the curtain rising on the Manifest Theatre Group’s latest production the audience was
chuckling and the laughter just grew and grew. No-one, and I mean no-one, left the Oxford Road theatre without a
smile on their face.
Pull the Other One by Norman Robbins, directed here by Nigel Rowe, is a typically British farce with plenty of
misunderstandings, coming and goings, lots of double meanings and of course, lost clothing.
Perhaps it was first night nerves, but the prompt was heard far more often than is usual. Some to those on stage appeared to rely more on their own words and in the end it all added to the general merriment. Acting failures at the Manifest over the past 24 years have been few and far between and once again there was no dead weight in the cast, all seven contributing fine performance.
Gloria Streames, taking a major role, was wonderful as the domineering mother, Gordon Prior proved a
master of facial expression and Lester Pearse was brilliant as the much put-upon son-in-law,
while Bert Frost, at 86 the oldest member of the group, endeared himself to everyone as the somewhat
bumbling parish priest.
This was a truly great night out and it was disappointing to see so many empty seats,
It was a good opportunity to get away from the television election coverage and surely Manningtree
should be able to fully support such a talented group?
Lesley Pallett
Photo Shoot
(click on an image below to view a larger photo - arrow keys navigate through the set)
