The 80s brought to life in play

The cast and crew of Ringing Changes. Writer / director Ted Charlton is front centre. PICTURE / IAN JONES

Wanganui Repertory Theatre's
Ringing Changes
Written and Directed by Ted Charlton
Performed on Sunday, July 8 at 2pm.
Reviewed by Paul Brooks

Ted Charlton has written a good play with plenty of humour and loads of references to the time and place where it is set. It's the 1980s, when microwaves were new technology and mobile phones were large and cumbersome — but still very trendy among a certain set.

Ringing Changes covers two occasions in the life of a family — the 25th and 30th wedding anniversaries of Helen (Cathy Gribble) and Buck (Chris Stedman), when all the family and their partners gather to wish them luck and play out their own dramas and comic scenes.

My job is to give my impressions, not to tell the story, but there are scenes and moments which cannot go unmentioned.
Like Ashlyn Morris' brave foray into near nudity and girl-on-girl wrestling, a scene predictably misinterpreted by other members of the cast. Then there's the drama of trying to hide the 30th anniversary present and the frantic disrobing which ensues.

You'll love the looks on mum and dad's faces when daughter Jessie (Jess Alder) arrives with her new partner Max.
And get a load of yuppie son Andrew (Caius Wrigglesworth) and his mobile phone, pre-stock market crash.

There is some superb directing (let's call it cast control) when the audience listens to a conversation, then, as our attention is drawn to another conversation, the first continues, but at a level which doesn't interfere with the second, and so on, through three or four dialogues. Very clever.

Ted has assembled a cast of mixed experience and abilities but there are obvious standouts.
Meg McPhail is a good "Grandma". With her love of a tipple and a flutter, she is the obvious choice to corrupt her grandson Richard (Jamie O'Hagan) with dreams of Lotto riches.

Cathy Gribble plays the harassed Helen very well, keeping her cool (mostly) while all about her are losing theirs. Part of her job is to keep a lid on the outburst-prone Buck, but in that she's fighting a losing battle. Buck will always fight progress, change and the need to be sensitive and less than loud.

Caius' Andrew plays it straight, switching easily from yuppie to Bohemian in the short space of five years and an intermission (for a cup of tea and a biscuit).
Ashlyn (Heather) is always fun to watch and she invariably manages to steal a scene or two.
Mikayla Walker made her mark on this play with some lovely, understated acting and natural facial expressions. She made her scenes look easy.

Everyone had something to offer this locally written, directed and produced comedy, and if there were lots of double entendres and sexual innuendo, well, this was the 1980s. Mind you, it's still funny.

Ted has done a good job controlling the cast in what could be scenes of chaos, but which actually make sense. Having most of the characters on stage at once throughout much of the play could have been disastrous, but it wasn't.

Then, of course, there are all the people backstage who made it run seamlessly, changing scenery, adjusting lighting, making sound effects and ensuring continuity.
Ringing Changes is on again this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm at Repertory Theatre, Ridgway St.