The play started straight off with no narration or introduction of any kind, I was worried that because of this the story may have been complicated however from the start it was clear that the complicated character changes and uses of different personas was performed to perfection, the mime and the masterful performance of the different accents which only made the audience really believe that all the characters were present.
I felt that the open stage with almost no curtain falls and very few blackouts only added to the awe that the actors could sustain such performances for such long periods of time.
The lighting could perhaps have been used more to give the atmospheres of different locations as there was little or no change in scenery, the sound also was minimal adding to the realism of the acting however when it was used it was subtle and well thought out, such as in the “horses ride by” scene to great comic effect.
Costume throughout the play was basic and there was no changes really except in a scene where the extras change out of their performing clothes to their casual ones, this was essential because the conversation was in the style of two people changing and talking at the same time, later in the play I was impressed to see that even when the female characters were played such as the assistant producer and Caroline Giovanni the character was not changed through clothes or makeup but simply by the flick of a hand and a change in posture.
The individual performances by the actors were outstanding, never was I confused by the character changes never did the novelty of multiple roles wear off and most of all never was I bored by the performance as a whole. Each actor gave the characters depth and made them believable to an amazing extent, although the humour of the play was I felt the best performed part the actors still allowed room for their characters to develop as the mood became more sombre.
My favourite performance was that of Rupert Degas as the assistant producer Ashleen the slight exaggeration of the ditzy manner added to the humour of the play whilst her fight to maintain order over a type of person that she is not used to dealing with suggests that inside she is lacking in confidence.
Hugh Lee’s best performance I felt was as Old Mickey a veteran of another film shot in the village who wanders into reminiscences of better days, his distinct and habitual movements and mannerisms give the character real credibility.
I think that over all the play was enjoyable and expertly performed with outstanding skills show by both Lee and Degas and although scene by scene the play interested me I think that the overall plot was not as good as it could have been, firstly placing the “punch line” in the middle of the play took away from the mystery of why the play is called “Stones in His Pockets” also this left very little climax at the end of the play which I feel is bad because in a play I think it is last impressions just as much as first impressions that determine the audiences opinion of a play.
