Burton Taylor Theatre, Thu April 20th - Sat April 22nd 2006

The Caboon! Theatre Group's performance of 'Confusions' was an excellent piece of comic theatre, especially for such a newly put-together and young company. The four one act plays were executed with originality and excellent comic timing, and the performances were constantly energetic. Props were used to great effect, notably during the restaurant scene, where Patrick Turpin gave a hilarious performance. Overall, a great production.

Emilie Ferguson 29 Apr 2006

Well I thought the play was QUALITY! Made me laugh out loud on many occasions, which is what I went for. The acting was good and the piece was well worth the £4 I paid to see it. It's sold out on the Friday and Saturday anyway so there.

Lacob Jiddle 21 Apr 2006

Quite frankly I thought that 'Confusions' was aptly titled for a performance lacking in direction and cohesion. The acting was weak, but whether this was due to inexperience, inability or poor guidance remains a mystery. One to be avoided.

Ranjeev Ahmed 20 Apr 2006

Confusions is a series of one-act plays performed by the Caboon! theatre group in aid of Cheney School’s drama department. The programme describes the performances as “A collection of witty one act plays by one of Britain’s best-loved playwrights”; but unfortunately, on the first night of the run, the company didn’t quite manage to pull off what it promised.

The fault lay in two areas: firstly, the scripts, written by the popular playwright Alan Ayckbourn, seemed clichéd and somewhat outdated; secondly, the young cast lacked the experience and comic timing needed to bring their characters to life. The male actors in particular seemed self-conscious on the stage, and appeared far younger than the characters they were playing, while the female actors, although stronger, had a tendency to over-act. However, some of these weaknesses may have been due to first-night nerves.

The actors made good use of the stage, suggesting they had been well directed by Ellie Cartwright, who also acted in the plays; and the backstage team did well to recreate the different scenes required for each play within the limited space of the Burton Taylor studio. If you are intending to see Confusions, do not expect highly polished performances: but perhaps this should not be demanded of such a young company. Instead, go to be entertained, and amused, by a group of enthusiastic and lively young actors who are performing in aid of a very good cause.

Tara Stubbs 20 Apr 2006

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