Reviews

Report by:   John Holliday on Wednesday 6 November 2024 (edited)
Venue:  Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond
Director:  Gary Winn

     It is a brave decision to choose two shows by the same playwright, one after the other, however Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society is not afraid of making bold choices and this one certainly paid off.

     Blue Stockings by Jessica Swales covers some very similar themes to Nell Gwynn, their last production, but in such a different style that you wouldn’t guess they were by the same author. The choices of moments in British history where women were fighting for their rights and challenging their place in Society a common theme however Blue Stockings was a much more wordy affair with very technical language, think Tom Stoppard and Arcadia to get a sense of the complexity, however the cast managed this with ease allowing the script to roll along at a lovely conversational pace.

     Blue Stockings tells the story of a group of young women and their peers at Girton College, breaking from the ranks to gain an education and hopefully, should the upcoming vote succeed, be the first women to receive a graduation from their University.  The play focuses on four main characters thrust together from the off, each with their own insecurities and hopes for their future.

     Miss Addison (first name use was disapproved of) was played by the talented Rachel Hall with a bounce in her stride, and her character's confidence shone through the performance.

Her expressive smile often contrasted with the others allowing her tales of foreign travel to flow at ease with her own “self-assurance”.

     Joanne Wilkinson allowed her character to grow and develop subtly throughout the play from a quiet recluse, keen to toe the line and follow the rules, yet it wasn't long before she had young Miss Moffatt in her grasp. Her past giving her the drive and passion to convince her friend to follow her dreams. Some really powerful speeches packed a punch ensuring assertive language did not cross the line into screaming.

     Beki Stevenson’s character, Miss Sullivan, sadly only lasted the first act with her quiet and shy characteristics hiding the fact that she was very different from the others. Not from a privileged background but at the University on merit. Despite her great mind, the end of Act One saw her brother appear and despite an appeal, delivered with great passion from Beki, she is forced to return home to care for her family. An emotional delivery which really had us thinking how much has actually changed almost a hundred years on from when this was written?

     The main character that we follow in the show, Miss Moffatt, really captures the spirit of the play. A young lady determined to succeed yet battling with her own doubts when the challenge of what is happiness, love or knowledge arose. This role was played to absolute perfection by Charlotte Finn, possibly one of the most talented young actresses around at the moment. Long monologues rolled along at a pace, her interaction with fellow actors seemed so natural and little touches made the character believable from the little shoulder nudges with her love interest to the almost teasing behaviour of her childhood friend. She wasn’t afraid to let down her guard and show some passion either with the emotion building to such a level we had real tears rolling down her cheek. An incredibly impressive performance.

     The young ladies, despite the male objection to their very existence at Girton, had great support from within the establishment. Debbie Barrigan played Miss Blake, a lecturer challenging the girls not only in their education but in their beliefs. Debbie was utterly believable showing some great control in her line delivery, her passion for the girls mirroring her own drive for equality, not ashamed of her connection with the Suffragette movement, a cause that would eventually lead to her resignation.

     Another character putting their morals before ambition, Mr Banks, was well portrayed by Andy Spivey. He gave us a lovely soft tone in his delivery showing a gentle connection with the young ladies and despite being offered career security and a fellowship in return for abandoning them, rejected the bribe and fought on for their education.

     Owning the stage in every scene was Gill Page playing Mrs Welsh the Mistress of the College. Gill gave us such a powerful performance, at times appearing to be controlling the girls yet helping them battle the system to thrive. Her delivery at the end of Act One calling for the vote was so passionate yet controlled, a great contrast to her anger when confronted by the rioters in Act Two.

     Of course the play needed those opposing the cause and RADS had a great male cast ready for the battle. The “Old Boys” brigade was well played out by Warnock Kerr, Ian Woods and Howard Firth. Each actor painted a lovely character profile as Professors of Trinity and whether through stiff upper lips, wild outbursts or general disgust, together painted a great picture of the snobbery from within the male-dominated University establishments of the time.

     Charlie Grumbley, playing a renowned Psychiatrist, gave us the most wonderful yet horrible character of the night. His pure disdain for the ladies summed up in the most sexist and chauvinistic statements of the night. Challenging the very notion that women could not become educated due to their hysteria, a brilliant moment where once challenged by Miss Moffatt, he becomes hysterical in his argument completely contradicting his whole theory.

     The main objections to the female inclusion at the University came from the male students, whether threatened by their existence or completely caught up in their own self-righteousness; our quartet of young men each managed their own battles perfectly.

     Lee Bowles played Edwards, the sort of fool of the pack, delivering some lovely comic moments in the show. From his drunken song to disastrous chat up lines, it was a lovely characterisation yet giving us a softer side when stepping aside from the pack during the riots.

     Steven Berry played Holmes, your typical pompous Etonian-style student, so self assured in his ways and arrogantly delivered. The facial expressions were a treat and every line delivered with great pronunciation and projection, mirroring his character’s upper class background.

     Bryn Turner really gave us a character you love to hate in Lloyd, the almost jock of the group. Swaggering around the stage with utter arrogance, and whether describing his mountain conquests or belittling everyone around him showed us the egos the young women were up against. His rant in Act Two where he is determined to put the women back in their place might have been more effective with a little less shouting however it certainly had a real impact.

     Character development was a real theme in this play, unfortunately not always for the better in the case of Ralph Mayhew, delivered with real charm by the ever-impressive Scott Fenney. His charm and pursuit of Miss Moffatt was so believable that when we learnt of his deception it came as not only a shock to her but to us. His character changed and his bravado in front of his male peers was only brought down to earth when challenged by her friend Will Bennett, another character on a journey to find himself.

     Dan Westgarth played Will and this is possibly his best performance to date as at times he was required to play the straight role. Whilst others were full of character he managed to keep his calm, at times silent and yet still 100% in the scene. From an objector refusing to acknowledge his friend’s existence to one embracing her for her knowledge was a moving moment. His connection with Charlotte as Miss Moffatt was so warm and tender that there was no reason to believe these two would not end up together eventually.

     RADS managed to pull together a huge cast for this play and every single member brought something to the production. Susie Ordish’s witty control of the ladies as their chaperone was spectacular, Jennifer Roberts had a vicious snap about her in many roles, Jackie McLeod beamed as the shopkeeper and Alex Charlton gave us a lovely line delivery as Miss Sullivan’s younger brother desperately pleading for her return to the family home.

     However I must praise Chloe Reid who played both Minnie the housemaid and a Waitress, both minor roles yet she had a beaming smile and lit up the stage on every entrance. With clear line delivery and wonderful interaction with the cast, this is an actress to watch out for.

     With 25 scene changes Director Gary Winn did a great job to keep the play moving along at pace. He managed the compact staging of the Georgian Theatre well allowing his performers to shine without the major distraction of large sets, instead using detailed projections  to paint the scene. His backstage crew did a fantastic job and the detailing of the costumes by Georgie Sale and her team was exceptional.

     This play must have been a tough choice, a large cast especially with so many men, a very wordy script and some very sensitive subjects.

     Gary and his team carried off a brilliant production as I left the Theatre not only thoroughly entertained but also still thinking about where we truly are with equality today. Thank you RADS and I can’t wait for Antigone in March.

Report by:   Barry Jones on Thursday 7 November 2024
Venue:  Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond
Director:  Gary Winn

     Jessica Swale’s Blue Stockings is an inspiring and heartfelt play that sheds light on a significant chapter in the history of women’s rights: the fight for female students to graduate from Girton College, Cambridge, in 1896.

     Performed by RADS with sensitivity and vigour, this production brings to life the struggles of young women who dared to challenge the status quo and pursue an education on equal terms with men, whilst being widely viewed as “unnatural” and “outcasts”.

     The play follows four students - Tess (Charlotte Finn), Celia (Joanne Wilkinson), Carolyn (Rachel Hall), and Maeve (Beki Stevenson) - each with distinct backgrounds and motivations, but all united by their ambition to study. The characters are portrayed with depth and sensitivity and are deeply relatable. We follow their journeys of intellectual curiosity, resilience, and the courage to stand up against the societal expectations that seek to define them.

     The production captures the era perfectly through wonderful period costumes and a set that uses photographic backdrops to evoke Victorian Cambridge. RADS even borrowed an authentic bicycle from the Wensleydale Railway as one of the props, which is used to great effect as part of an innovative science lesson in the opening scene. The spectacle of a woman on a bike (heaven forbid!) causes quite a stir in the streets of Cambridge, drawing incredulous attention from the male students.

     It is a large and strong cast, ably brought together by Director, Gary Winn. There are numerous standout performances, particularly from the central characters. Charlotte Finn beautifully captures Tess’s internal conflicts and growing resolve; and Dan Westgarth ably portrays William Bennett, a student from King’s College who struggles to exist within the male undergraduate enclave while lending support to his childhood friend Tess and those seeking to convince the Senate to grant the right to graduate.

     Supporting actors bring warmth and humour to their roles, particularly in scenes where male students and professors are confronted by the audacity of “bluestockings” seeking the same academic recognition they enjoy.

     This is the second play by Jessica Swale that RADS has chosen to perform this year (following the huge success of Nell Gwynn) and it is an excellent choice. Swale’s writing is sharp and evocative, balancing humour and poignancy as it delves into issues of gender and class. One of the play’s strengths is its ability to relate to contemporary audiences, inviting reflection on how far society has come—but also the challenges that still persist today.

     Blue Stockings is a celebration of the power of education and the determination of women to claim their place in the world. This production is a stirring testimony to the sacrifices made by those who came before us, and a tribute to the on-going pursuit of equality.

     In the play, the female students are asked to choose between love and education because in 1896, the choice to study was pretty much a passport to spinsterhood. The Girton students persevered and laid the foundations for generations of women to come. Many sacrifices were made, not least by male lecturers like Mr Banks (Andy Spivey) who compromised their own careers to teach at female colleges.

     Hopefully, this is not too much of a plot spoiler but the final slide projection informing us that it was to be another 50 years (in 1948) before women did get to graduate from Cambridge gives us much to reflect upon.