Dark
Summer

Summer in December

by James Liggart

January  8, 9  1954

Directed by M E Clifton-James

Review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" This was one of their best "

Two main characters, Elspeth French, the hotel proprietress and writer Nigel Wainwright, her devoted admirer, were well cast and well played by Betty Carpenter and John Wilson.  Betty Gedge was priceless ass Effie the slatternly maid; she timed her laughs well and made the most of them.  Sylvia Sartin as a young wife.  Diane Hubbard a designing female and Ian McLeod as young David Payne were particularly good in their respective rôles.

A little more attention to the setting would have made this good production by M. E. Clifton-James even better.

Review of the time

G.S.B.

" Good acting in a comedy about hotel types "

Ian Elliott and Edwin Tupper, as Terry Holmes and Edward Kingsley, had to make the most of their less attractive parts as problem husbands.  They must be congratulated on not making them appear too dull.  Ralph Dawes hit the mark with his impersonation of a crusty old colonel. His gravely voice added to the characterisation.  Of the romantic scenes perhaps the most touching was that between the two young lovers, Angela Kingsley and David Payne.   Jennifer Hall showed great conviction as Angela and Ian McLeod gave her good support.  Betty Gedge's Effie, the impertinent hotel servant, left little to be desired.  Miss Gedge has brought the type of role to a fine art.

Betty Carpenter, as Elspeth French, was the best of the more serious characters.  It is very difficult to introduce a serious note in a near-farce, but Miss Carpenter succeeded admirably.  When the author introduces three more serious female roes it rather spoils the balance between comedy and melodrama.  Sylvia Sartin, Diana Hubbard and Joy Mumford took the parts of the three women each with her own marital troubles, forcefully and attractively.  The three fairly similar characters were portrayed with the maximum of contrast.  Elwyn Wass took and amusing minor role.  Good acting was matched by the competent production by Mr. M E Clifton-James who is new to the Players.  The only real fault was the scenery, which was rather drab.

Pre-show publicity

"A retired professional West End actor, Mr. G Clifton-James, of Worthing, is the producer of the Young Wick Players latest stage venture Summer in December.  Interested in encouraging young drama enthusiasts Mr. Clifton-James has recently completed a book describing his wartime experiences as one of Field Marshall Montgomery's doubles.  Mr. James Liggat's modern comedy is set in a family hotel on the north-east coast at Christmas time.  There are two children in the cast, and these juvenile rôles will be played by teenagers Jennifer Hall and Ian McLeod.  It will be Ian's first appearance as a member of the group.  The adult leading parts will be taken by John Wilson and Betty Carpenter, who have already proved themselves worthy of such distinction."   

The Ghost Train

by Arnold Ridley

April  9, 10  1954

Directed by Betty Gedge

Review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" Dead bodies and ghosts on railway "

Review of the time 

Reviewer unknown

" A not-too-ghostly Ghost Train - old thriller at Southwick "

Ian Elliott played the apparently irresponsible young fool, Teddy Deakin, whose thoughtless action resulted in a party of rail travellers missing their connection and having to spend a hair-raising night in dreary Fal Vale station, in the wilds of Cornwall.  He brought strong humour to the rôle, and was equally in control of the situation when he was revealed as a secret service agent hot on the trail of gun runners.  There was light relief, too, in Betty Carpenter's appearance as fussy Miss Bourne, complete with parrot.

Other Travellers

Other travellers were capably played by Edwin Tupper and Anita Cavaliero [the honeymooning Murdocks] and Ralph Dawes and Diana Hubbard [the estranged Winthrops].  The mysterious old station-master, Saul Hodgkin, came to life through Desmond Tyler, though he could have been more sinister. 

The gang, whose night operations were so upset by the arrival of the party comprised Eileen Turley, Peter Kirby and Godfrey Evans, and Peter Carpenter appeared as a secret service man.  Miss Turley had a particularly difficult rôle as the female crook masquerading as a mentally deranged girl to heighten the legend of the ghost train, and can be forgiven her failure to bring quite the requisite touch of the macabre to the part.  Less easy to forgive is the fact that even on the second night the promptress had to put her spoke in, certainly more than once - a pity in any play and doubly so in this, which should have been pregnant with uninterrupted foreboding.

Backstage effects were excellent, thanks to John Chatfield and there was good work by John Wilson [stage manager], Frank Hurrell [lighting] Barbara Mott [properties] and Maureen Fucher [wardrobe].  Production was by Betty Gedge who had The Ghost Train on the right lines for most of its run. 

Dark Summer

by Wynyard  Browne

October  1, 2  1954

Directed by  Betty Carpenter

"STORMS! FLOODS!
HOLIDAYS SPOILT!
CROPS RUINED!

In true fashion always hoping for a fine day tomorrow - for better times to come, but there are worse things than these.  Be sure to see the mental anguish and loving self-sacrifice of Gisela in her ..."

so ran the flyer for this production.

Review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" Dark Summer  "
Presentation By Young Wick Players

The play itself is a sombre piece dealing with the reactions of a young man, recently blinded, first to the girl-friend he had when he could see, and secondly to the ugly Jewish refugee who cared for him when he was ill.  The question posed is: Which of the two women will he chose for his wife if his operation proves successful?

There was a rather slow performance from Brian Cooper as the young man, although he improved when his dark glasses were taken off and he could walk about the stage quite normally.  Betty Carpenter, as the young man's mother, laboured under the handicap of being too young for the part, but she acted well and gave an illusion of age.

Sylvia Chatfield as a trying old companion was good in parts, though she too, was inclined to be slow.  Sylvia Sartin as the young man's girl-friend was spirited and bright, and brought a little colour into an otherwise melancholy play.

Review of the time

D.M.

" Dark Summer made it a bright autumn night "

Starting with the disadvantage of being poorly cast as the airman's mother - she seemed to be far too young - Betty Carpenter nevertheless managed a trying rôle fairly well.  She played to life the somewhat narrow-minded Mrs. Hadow, even though it was at times difficult to reconcile her apparent youth and stage age.  Another character I was always glad to see step from the wings was the head-in-the-clouds paying guest.  Sylvia Loder was most convincing.

Review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" Play with an unusual ending "

The first play written by Wynyard Browne, it may not be so well known as his later successes [The Holly and the Ivy and A Question of Fact] but it has a compelling theme and is good 'theatre'.  Stephan Hadow, recently blinded, is about to undergo a decisive eye operation.  A terse, introspective young man, he is the hub around which the Hadow household revolves.  His mother's possessive protection only adds to his indecisiveness.  Miss Loder, the paying guest, fusses over him with old-maidenly concern.  Gisela Waldstein, once a chemist, now the servant of the Hadows, is a young, Jewish refugee from Austria.  To Stephan, Gisela has become indispensable, the confidant to share his deepest thoughts, even to act a 'go-between' in his correspondence with Judy, his fiancée.

Betty Gedge held the stage as Gisela, acting with naturalness and feeling.  Her accent was convincing as her characterisation.  Brian Cooper, in a difficult part, did not altogether compel the compassion of the audience, although his restrained, and rather static, representation of Stephan came to life in the latter part of the play.

Betty Carpenter, as the mother, had the authoritative manner, though a rather young appearance.  Her delivery was good and her voice flexible.  Sylvia Sartin, well cast as Judy, had attack and moved well.  Sylvia Chatfield's eccentric Miss Loder gave the relieving touch of comedy in this drama. 

Rookery Nook

by Ben Travers

December  3, 4  1954

Directed by Godfrey Evans

Pre-show publicity

Publication unknown

Although rehearsing takes a great deal of time, the Young Wicks have managed to spare a little more to help make Christmas happy for the youngsters in the Church of England Children's Home, Brighton.  They are making a collection of toys, and a special stall will be opened to receive gifts towards the collection in the foyer of the Barn Theatre during the two-night run of the play.  "We do hope everyone will bring a toy with them", Miss Carpenter, secretary to the club, told me.  I, too, hope they will.

H.T.C

" Young Wick Players' farce "

No doubt they found the production of a farce more difficult than they first imagined, but in spite of the relatively short acting experience of most of the cast, they handled the dialogue well, and producer Godfrey Evans showed imagination in several ways in his treatment of the characters.  These small touches meant the difference between success and failure.

Although the set did not appear to be as substantially constructed as it might have been, it served its purpose.  The production was all the richer for the well-timed effects by John Chatfield and Frank Hurrell's lighting

Ross Workman as the timid Harold Twine raised many a laugh with his nervous gestures and inane remarks, and made an admirable foil for Clive and Gerald Popkiss [Michael Dawes and Ralph Dawes], while Rhoda [Diane Topping], as the girl in distress who finally wins a much-needed frock from the back of the fatuous Poppy Dickey [Maureen Futcher], held them at bay.

Putz [Desmond Tyler] and Brian Cooper's Admiral Juddy were enthusiastically played, and other parts were taken by Eileen Turley [Gertrude], Betty Perry [Mrs Leverett], Elaine Smithers [Clara], and Barbara Mott [Mrs Possett].