Hare’s plays tend to be wordy with virtually no action, and this is typical of his genre. That doesn’t mean that his plays are boring. Far from it, he has a great talent for giving huge depth to his characters. He often leaves the audience squirming as his beautifully structured dialogue exposes the personalities.

This two and a quarter hour play is being presented by the Limelight Theatre Repertory Company, at the Limelight Theatre, Civic Drive in Wanneroo. The performances are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8.00 pm until 8^th October.

It is a freezing November evening in 1995. Robert and Susie Benson-Parry have completely captured the semi-squalor of this post war residence – built to a budget. The scene is Kyra’s downmarket, top-floor flat, in Kensal Rise situated in the Borough of Brent – one of north London’s most deprived areas. There is a cramped, shabby dinette, with a single bedroom leading off the room. Well fitted out with Carryn McLean’s props.

Stage managed by Pearl Jensen and Dayle Seaman. Wardrobe advice from Shelley McGinn.

The show was given the mood of the film ‘A Brief Encounter’, with well-chosen music by Alan McPherson. The sound techs were Patrick McGinn and Kim Elford, with lighting by Zachary Ozlins.

     Shivering schoolteacher, Kyra Hollis (Emma Shaw) is home after a gruelling day, of educating disinterested kids in East Ham. Her flat seems even colder than the bleak weather outside. She puts on woollen mitts, and plugs in her ineffective, one-bar electric fire.

     Kyra rushes through to the bathroom to run an ache-easing bath. When she comes back into the sitting room, a young man is standing there. He is Edward (Jacob Turner), an eighteen-year-old student whom she has not seen for three years. Kyra gives him a peck on the cheek. Edward is the son of Tom (Gino Cataldo), a wealthy businessman with whom this much younger woman had a 6-year affair.

      Edward tells Kyra that his bedridden mother has now died; and that his father has not been the same since Kyra left their household. Before leaving, he pleads for Kyra to come back.

      No sooner has Kyra finished her bath, but her doorbell rings. It is the highly charismatic, but manipulative Tom, come to work his spell on Kyra – or will she see through him and his dubious ideologies this time?

It takes a special kind of director to make a psychological drama interesting to the audience, and James Hough-Neilson certainly succeeded. It also takes tremendous skill to carry out what is virtually a two-hander for 130 minutes. Emma was on stage the full time, and Gino for a large portion. All three actors were exceptional, portraying full depth to their very different characters.

Jacob set the scene with his ‘little boy lost’ dialogue, hinting to us what a lonely childhood he had experienced. Then Gino came in, showing us the self-centred restaurateur, who felt that throwing money at a situation was always the answer and that people did not really matter.

Both Gino and Emma conquered the mountain of dialogue, mingled with several challenging monologues. They incorporated the subtle changes of mood, and the personality swings wonderfully. Emma was flawless as the poor ‘sponge’, mopping up all of the muck flying around – magnificent performance.

The language of the play was at times quite crude, and I heard some of the older members commenting on it. However, the script was beautifully written and structured, so the language was appropriate to the situation.

An admirable presentation of a very difficult and thought-provoking play.

The two-hour performances begin at 8.00 pm and run until Friday 24^th April, but be warned, so far this show has sold out ever performance.

It is 1950 in the Garden of England, Kent. In the countryside lie Pop Larkin’s farm and fruit orchards. The stage is divided in half. This exceptional set (design Doug McLean) has to the left of the audience a farmhouse sitting room and on the other side of the ‘dividing wall’ is the farmyard, complete with a full sized ‘real’ tree (Lorretta Gibbs), a barn and landscape (painted by Ursula Kotara). Having to find farming implements is difficult, but when they have to be 50 years, old then things get tricky for the décor girls Polly Waugh, Shelley McGinn, Carryn McLean and Dayle Seaman).

The costumes were ‘perfick’ for the era, with the demand on Shelley and Dayle for a wide range that covered the dignitaries next door, to the rustic outfit of Pop Larkin. Well done.

There were a huge number of lighting and sound effects, many with split second timing, but Wally Fry and Ryan Perrin were on the ball.

It is a red-hot day, and the farming Larkins have just returned home. As Ma, the most wonderfully caring, yet strong-minded wife ever (Loz Haynes) is warming up the fish and chips for the kids, Pop (Tim Riessen) is preparing one of his special drinks. The only son, Montgomery (Ethan Gosatti) is setting the table.

      Outside, their ‘almost 18 yrs old’ daughter, the attractive and lustful Marietta (Natasha Christie) has found a handsome young man wandering around the farmyard. This is tax inspector, Cedric Charlton (Jacob Turner), immediately Marietta’s eyelashes flutter, starving Cedric succumbs and is dragged into the house for something to eat. He is here because like many of the neighbours – including the Brigadier (Gordon Barnett) next door – Pop has not paid tax for decades. How could he pay? After all the necessities of life he showers onto people he has no money. In fact, a second senior tax inspector (Roger Oakes) turns up a couple of days later.

      The sexually frustrated, horsey Miss Pilchester (Gwen Browning) explains to warm and loving Pop in her ‘ghastly’ accent exactly what she is looking for. (A beautiful comedy performance by Gwen).

      It is not long before Marietta has some passionate competition for Cedric from farmhand, Pauline (Maddy Innes). Then who is the mysterious visitor, Angela Snow (Elinor King) and what is she doing looking around the house? Sir George (Paul Anderson) and Lady Rose (Helen Tudge) may have a title, and a sizeable mansion but Pop seems extra keen to have a word with them both.

With such a wonderful TV cast, this troupe had a challenge on their hands to win over the nostalgic audience – and this is precisely what they did. Loz as Ma was wonderfully caring and understanding, even when her husband had to ‘service’ the maids of the village. Tim’s cheeky grin and innocent, yokelish expression ‘perfickly’ hid the knowledge and the cunning that Pop really had. Cedric’s shy demeanour subtly changed slowly throughout the play, often with the help of alcohol, was a masterpiece by Jacob Turner.

The delightful children, who alternated nights, included Isobel Green, Asha MacDonald-Razvi, Camryn Gillet, Alyssa Yates, Zoe Karagiannis, Charlotte Yates and Imani Benfell. They were alert and gave relaxed natural performances.

The direction by Carryn McLean was well considered, inventive and with such a large cast still remained firmly in control.

Limelight’s admirable web site is changing to a self-booking’ system, which is giving a little teething trouble, but like Playlovers and Rockingham it will be well worth the hard work.

Not only did we get a most enjoyable night out, but also the programme – designed by ‘Chick and Egg’ – had one recipe for apple pie and another for cider.

The enjoyment of this extremely funny show will continue.