Up And Running

Reporter: Colin Meredith
Date online: 12 June 2008

St Ann's Players' production of Up and Running by Derek Benfield is a complicated comedy of lies and harmless deceit. The plot eventually confuses all the characters into doubting their own identity and who their real partners are.

Under the direction of Andy McKay, who also played one of the pivotal characters Trevor, the audience were treated to a great evening of laughter.

The story revolves around veteran TV talk-show host Patrick Sumner played with convincing style by lan Mansfield. Patrick is desperate to impress his new television producer Reg Godfrey who has recently moved across from religious programmes in Scotland.

With this puritanical link to his character Reg Godfrey is in for a shock when he calls round to the flat and is thrown into the circle of lies, that will leave him totally confused. Michael Cole played Reg Godfrey with appropriate confusion throughout and Michaela Mansfield as the flirty Jenny was the first to confuse Reg when she claims to be the talk-show host's wife.

As the mayhem spirals Patrick's wife played by Judith Mansfield returns to the flat to add to her husband's dilemma. Patrick thought she was on a plane to Paris so when she returns Reg Godfrey is beginning to question what his new employee is up to.

In an effort to keep his television career Patrick goes along with the deceit but didn't anticipate the intervention of Trevor's girlfriend Virginia, played by Joanne Frost. She burst into the flat with tremendous energy and made an impact on everyone immediately. She turns out to be the saviour when we find she already knows our religious producer and gets everyone out of a sticky situation.

The strong cast are to be congratulated on handling a complex script which would not have been easy to rehearse, but gauging audience reaction they all appreciated their efforts.

Up and Running
St Ann's Players