OF the many plays written by Alan Ayckbourne, Joking Apart is rarely found on the am dram scene and on this occasion it was the Loddon Players who performed it on the stage at Sherfield Village Hall.

The entire play takes place in the garden of the successful – but unmarried – couple, Richard (Peter Francis) and Anthea (Louise Hayling), on four separate occasions over a twelve year period.

Their superior lifestyles almost destroy those around them, including Richard’s Finnish business partner Sven (Danny Spurrier), his wife Olive (Denise Hobbs) and neighbours Hugh the Vicar and his mentally fragile wife Louise (the superb Gordon Sutton and Joy Newman).

Sven is slowly edged out of the business he and Richard run, and, in the final scene, launches a bitter tirade against the ‘silver spoon’ lifestyle that Anthea’s daughter, Debbie (Lauren Newman), is set to inherit as she celebrates her eighteenth birthday.

A lingering joke throughout is the ineffective Brian (Mark Adams) and the seemingly identical girlfriends that he brings to gatherings, with the Canadian Melody, artistic Mandy and raucous Mo all being played expertly by Carolyn Miles.

The play isn’t a comedy, but it does have its moments. The long running joke about Olive’s jealousy of Anthea’s weight stirred the strong audience, while the appearance of Sven in ill-fitting tennis gear was undoubtedly the comic highlight of the evening. But Joking Apart had poignant moments, too, as Hugh declared his undying love for Anthea while trapped in a loveless marriage with Louise.

The realism of the play was greatly assisted by the elaborate set, as well as the make-up that helped to age the characters over four year intervals. The play also marked the directorial debut of Nick Robinson.

Phillip Horton