Despite some spirited acting from a hard-working cast Rushden Amateur Dramatic Society’s production last night of Anton Delmar’s “Don’t Utter a Note”, never got off the ground.
The small cast all played their parts well, particularly Douglas Mitchell as Basher Bates and Cyril Smith as Arnold Barraclough.
However, it was difficult to raise more than a chuckle for much of the play, but all the ingredients of a good comedy were there.
The plot was that two spinster sisters, Florence and Nelly Pringle, find a printing press that was used for forging money in the house that they have inherited.
By coincidence they have taken under their wing an ex-convict, Basher Bates, who was a forger at one time. With all good intentions they persuade him to print money to donate to the Church Restoration Fund.
However, spurred on by the success of this they have more and more money printed until their aim is to print a million pounds and pay off everyone’s income tax.
If any plot provided the basis for a good comedy then this did. Marion Knott as Florence and Barbara Harrison as Nellie played their parts well, improving as the play went on.
I would like to have seen Cyril Smith as Arnold Barraclough featured much more in the play. As the alcoholic ex-con he was perfect and it was from him and Basher that most of the laughs stemmed.
Douglas Mitchell was superb. His first appearance soon brought laughs from the audience and he never flagged once.
John Booth gave a sturdy performance as Police Sgt. Howlett, while Richard Woods looked quite at home as the nervous young rector.
Nerves probably accounted for the slight unnaturalness of Julie Mobbs as Sally and Larry Sharman as Nick, who played the engaged nephew and niece of the spinsters.
