Drayton Village Hall, OX14 4LG, Thu February 14th - Sat February 23rd 2008

Awful. A waste of £30. We considered leaving early. We felt the singing was poor as was the overall music. On a positive note the costumes were good.

bob 23 Feb 2008

A thoroughly enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

The songs just keep coming and were enthusiastically delivered by a talented cast of the young (and not so young!).

The story is well crafted and unusually I actually found myself caring about the Dinkie Doos and their future.

I have to declare that I am married to one of the main characters but I can honestly say that has not influenced my review.

If you get the chance I would recommend a trip along to Drayton to see this enjoyable event.

Drayton Players Widower 15 Feb 2008

A show about a show is, when you think about it, a somewhat strange concept, though not an uncommon one in the history of musical theatre. The Good Companions, however, based on the 1930s novel and play by J.B. Priestley, with music by Andre Previn, is much more than that and the Drayton Players give a masterly, polished and highly entertaining performance.

The Dinkie Doos touring concert party is down on its luck, the manager having absconded with the week’s takings. The new act, banjo player Morton Mitchum, arrives with three chance companions, who, each in turn, tell how they have come to leave their old, unsatisfactory lives behind and are seeking whatever fate brings them. Together with the touring players, changing the name to The Good Companions, they embark on a rollercoaster journey.

The three central characters - Jess Oakroyd, played by Mike Davies, Miss Trant (Georgia Alston) and Inigo Jolliphant (Steve Hosking) - give extremely strong and convincing performances, both in acting and singing, as does leading player Susie Dean (Victoria Hawtin). Morton Mitchum (Paul Martin) is an imposing presence, and well cast as a larger-than-life performer.

This musical has a large cast list, so many of the actors have to play more than one part, but this is, in general, very well done, and enables them to show their versatility. There are also many changes of scene but this is, again, pretty well managed, despite the occasional wobbly door. Among the many humorous moments, the school scene is particularly hilarious. Solo songs are a good combination of pathos and humour, such as Great North Road and Finally Footloose. Song and dance numbers are very well choreographed - notably, A Little Travellin’ Music and Points Beyond. Costumes are colourful, well chosen and appropriate to the period.

This is certainly another winner for the Drayton Players, and highly recommended as an evening of light hearted entertainment.

Eleanor 15 Feb 2008

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