First blustery theatre show

The first open air play of the 2017 season at Lytham Hall last Sunday evening brought warm tributes from audience and cast alike, as Chapterhouse Theatre Company presented Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations to an audience of 250.

Very changeable weather meant that early arrivals enjoyed a picnic in the sunshine, before blustery winds, especially in the second half of the play, became a challenge to those on and off stage.

Company manager Emily-Rose Hurdiss who played Miss Havisham felt that the Lytham audience had responded well to the second show of their three month nationwide tour.

“We very much enjoyed visiting Lytham Hall again which is an ideal venue for open air acting. This year we used microphones which was a significant help on a windy evening and it’s pleasing that we mostly received praise for our audibility.”

Playgoers were entertained before the show and at the interval by Lytham’s 30 strong Guardian Concert Band under the baton of conductor Paul Cooper who said that the audience had greeted his musicians enthusiastically.

Julian Wilde, organiser of the Lytham Hall season was pleased with the quality of the performance by the Guardian Band, by Chapterhouse and by the hard work of those who assisted with tickets, parking, refreshments and welcoming the audience.

“Our young meeters and greeters, Julia Munro and Oliver Fairbrother, set just the right tone as the audience arrived and that enabled everyone to have a very enjoyable evening. It was certainly the windiest day of the eight seasons of open air plays but we survived!”

The season now continues with the first visit of the summer by Illyria who will present Arthur Conan Doyle’s adventure story, The Lost World, complete with dinosaurs, on Sunday July 9.