When a respectable Victorian family becomes involved with murder and women of less savoury reputation anything can happen.
The situation was dreamed up by playwright Ronald Pertwee and the outcome for the family in question was a triumph for law and order – and yet another success for Rushden Amateur Dramatic Society.
The society added “Pink String and Sealing Wax” to their growing list of polished performances last night. Within a few minutes of the first act the audience was back to the nineteenth century and the apparent humdrum activities of Victorian society.
In fact, the cast could have taught Mr. Adam Adamant a thing or two about the niceties of the era.
The story involves a high handed chemist who seeks to rise above present duties with “pink string and sealing wax”, daughters who have burning ambitions to see their names in lights, and a son who has struck up a relationship with Brighton’s leading Scarlet Lady.
In last night’s performance a fine team of young actors and actresses extracted the most from both the humorous and dramatic passages of the play.
Very much the head of the house was Cyril Smith as the chemist and young Valerie Henson shone as his vivacious youngest daughter.
Jean Welsford and Judith Childs also won the pplause with their portrayal of his two older stage struck daughters.
Trying to keep a sense of proportion in the family was Lily Hawes as the long suffering wife and mother.
Richard Woods played the son who has strayed from the “straight and narrow” and Virginia Pope was the wench who had waved the beckoning finger. Douglas Mitchell and Robert King also put in able performances as an Irish doctor and his romantically minded son.
The play was produced by Renee Welsford and is to be repeated tonight and tomorrow at Rushden Secondary School for Boys.
RUSHDEN PLAYERS SCORE HIT WITH VICTORIAN PLAY
Rushden Amateur Dramatic Society turned back the clock almost ninety years this week – and scored another resounding success to add to their list of productions in Ronald Pertwee’s “Pink String and Sealing Wax”,
Produced by Rene Welsford, the play took the audience back to the Victorian era when the head of the house ruled with an apparent fist if iron, planning the lives of each member of his family.
Cyril Smith took this commanding role with assurance and his sweet little wife was played by Lily Hawes, who tried to keep a balance between husband and wilful children.
These were played by Valerie Henson, Richard Woods, Jean Welsford and Judith Childs.
Douglas Mitchell successfully carried off an Irish accent for his role as Doctor O’Shea and Robert King was his romantically minded son.
Virginia Pope – though her – appearances on stage were few – enthralled the audience with her portrayal of the “bad girl”.
The play ended its three day run at Rushden Secondary School for Boys last night.
Stage managers: John Booth, Geoffrey Laughton: assistant stage managers: David Beaman, Chic Jackson, Larry Sharman, Barry Parker, Ken Smith: lighting: Tony Watts, Phillip Hall.
Wardrobe: Doris Noble, Ann Denton: make-up: David Edwards, Angela Laughton.
Properties: Marjorie Wilce, Jennifer Harris Jones: prompter: Teresa Higgins: call boy: Valerie Baron: scenic design: Marion Knott: scenic painters: Marian Knott, Mike Bond, David Beaman, Sheila Hawes, Ursula Heaton, Gillian York, Valerie Baron.
Front of house: John Denton, Connie Hudson, Betty Pritchard, Jane Booth, Eileen Childs, Marion Knott: publicity: John Neville, Judith Childs: tickets: Barbara Harrison.
