Tony Allcroft and Barry Howlett from Spotlight Theatre Company joined Spencer Carter on his Weekend Wind Up show to talk about their forthcoming productions of The Last Tango in Little Grimley and The Last Panto in Little Grimley. These two one-act comedies centre on a fictional village drama group trying, with varying levels of competence, to save itself from dwindling audiences and unpaid bills.
Chaos and comedy in Little Grimley
Barry appears in both plays as Gordon, a man with absolute confidence in ideas that perhaps deserve a little more scrutiny. His latest solution to attracting audiences involves adding sex appeal to village theatre, with predictably chaotic results. The humour, as both guests explained, is unmistakably British - eccentric characters, small-community rivalries and plenty of slapstick.
A phenomenon in amateur theatre
The Little Grimley plays have become something of a phenomenon in amateur theatre circles, with thousands of performances taking place across the English-speaking world. Their popularity, Tony suggested, comes from the fact that they are genuinely funny and recognise the strange but wonderful realities of local drama groups.
Spotlight Theatre Company's legacy
Spotlight Theatre Company itself has been entertaining audiences since 2000 and has never confined itself to one style of production. Alongside comedies, the group has tackled serious dramas, murder mysteries, musicals and pantomimes, often raising money for local causes at the same time.
What keeps them involved
Both men spoke warmly about what keeps people involved in community theatre. For Barry, it is the friendships that develop across different generations. For Tony, who prefers directing to acting, it is the satisfaction of seeing an idea take shape and hearing an audience respond to it.
Local theatre value
Both made the point that there is excellent theatre much closer to home than many people realise - and at £10 a ticket, it represents rather better value than many trips into the West End. The performances take place at Cranham Community Centre in Upminster on July 17 and 18, with evening shows on both days and a Saturday matinee.
As always, you can hear the interview again at phoenixfm.com.
