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The Production

With thirty-two young people and a requirement to cast all of them in two one-act plays, play selection becomes really quite challenging. However we were fortunate in identifying two good short plays, one of which was best suited to the younger members, (Domby-Dom), and the other to our young teenagers. It therefore became relatively easy to cast the major parts in each play by reference initially to age and size. Our objective was to perform both plays in our youth 'home' in Goodrich, then to take one of them, The Musicians, to the Hereford County Drama Festival. In the event and at the request of the Festival committee, both plays were entered in order to round out the number of Festival entries.


The Cast of Domby Dom by Nick Warburton


The Musicians by Patrick Marber

Cast and Crew

 

Reviews

Ian Hughes "The Ross Gazette" 20th February 2008

BARE BONES COMPANY PERFORM AT GOODRICH

The ever-enterprising Bare Bones Theatre Company staged two short plays in Goodrich Village Hall last week. It was performed by the youth section consisting of over thirty young people, aged from eight to fourteen.

Domby Dom by Nick Warburton involved the attempts by a group to put on a performance for us, the audience. Without a script or many actors it had to be improvised and the cast "recruited" from the audience. A frenetic and innovative plot evolved, after discussion and arguments, with a theme of adventure, an intergalatic football final at Wenbley stadium (still to be completed). There were goodies and their teddy bears (Return of the Teddi), baddies with their gang of rats, car chases and a final victory of good over evil. The cast's obvious enjoyment of working as a team shone through.

The second play, The Musicians by Patrick Marber, concrned the members of a bickering school orchestra from Ross, preparing to play Tchiakovsky in front of an elite audience in Moscow. Their young conductor, Roland, already apprehensive about his abilities, is constantly interrupted in his preparation by Alex the hall cleaner, a man obsessed by his rock music hero, the Pinball Wizard.

Roland's frustrations come to a head when the instruments are impounded at customs after a spliff is detected. Instead of abandoning the performance, the orchestra decide to forget their various differences and play without their instruments. With the help of Alex to explain to the audience the reason for this unique concert, they receive appreciative applause. As a result, all get their rewards in their own way.

Both plays were well directed by Dave Baldwin who brought a great deal of involvement from the lively and attractive cast, every member of which seems to have at least one or two lines to say, though from such a crowded stage some words are inaudible at the rear of the hall. Oliver Bartle and James Lester work gave convincing performances as cleaner and conductor in the second play, achieving a rapport, arising from mutual need.

The audience of parents and friends enjoyed the performances which clearly involved much hard work for which the cast and crew deserve congratulations.

These plays are being entered in the annual Herefordshire County Drama Festival at the Courtyard Theatre on March 13th.

They deserve to find honours there and it is hoped they receive all the support they should have. Why not go to see them for yourselves.