Fiona Lander and Paul Mason collectively known as 'Landermason' have been writing, recording and performing together since 2000. Multi instrumentalist Fiona (vocals, piano, whistles, saxes, clarinet and recorder) and Paul (guitars and vocals) have developed a unique sound which displays their undoubted talents. They combine both traditional and contemporary folk with jazz and other styles in their beautiful and striking arrangements.

On their visit to the theatre they provided us with a brilliant evening’s entertainment and we look forward to seeing them again in the future.  

Karen Henson and John Goodrum

in association with

Rumpus Theatre Company

Hippo and Co …

An evening of Flanders and Swann.

A wonderfully entertaining evening of nostalgia from John Goodrum and Roger Bowen played to a full house in July.  

I don’t think any of us stopped smiling the whole evening, great fun.

A Hampstead couple, noisily rowing, embarrass their slightly stuffy dinner guests at the beginning of John Chapman’s Kindly Leave the Stage. Conventional material for a tyopical “well-made” farce, but gradually the play unravels. First, the prompter is heard a little too audibly. Suddenly the acting is shrill and turning into something uglier as the protagonists reveal their “actual” lives, and the play-within-a-play is discarded for another sort of farce.  The contrast between the original play and the drame between the actors gives us comedy which produces the aches and tears that come with laughing too hard.  Claire Bibby’s new group, the Baroque Theatre Company, features many familiar faces from other troupes such as Black Ram and Smoking Mic. High recommendation! Indeed, it was directed by Richard Mechior of Smoking Mic. Leading actor Sam Heydon (some of you may remember him as Black Ram’s notable Malvolio) and Brad Fitt are the exceptionally able male leads’ and John Hare, playing an ageing well-oiled classical ham actor, inspires one of the funniest riffs - of farce declaimed in a classical style- leaving the audience completely choked with laughter. This imaginative and worthwhile play has been brilliantly revived.

We look forward to seeing the Baroque Theatre Company in the future.

Two coat-racks, one at each back corner of a sparsely furnished stage.  At the front, syrup-toned TV psychic Clarissa DeVere is being accused of fraud and trickery by Dr Thomas Cruikshank, sceptic and debunker. As a challenge they agree to spend the night at notorious, haunted Blackstone Hall, scene of a double shooting during the war. And Day Star Theatre has started to weave its customary magic.
It’s a company of two: Pete and Jane Marshall. They write their own scripts which they perform all over the country. They’ve visited Wells’ Granary Theatre for the past ten years, and Saturday they performed their latest play.
Their quirky dramas used to reflect life as seen from the barges on midland canals. In fact, they still live on a barge. But their drama has moved firmly onland now. Their proficiency is such that they now command a full house in Wells, no matter the weather. The actors play many different roles and the coatracks house the costumes and wraps needed for these changes. Scenes are short with brief, balletic pauses built in while they change their garb; it’s all quite hypnotic and expressive.
This particular drama is their best so far. There’s no way of predicting what will happen in this tale of challenge and cheating, ghostly episodes and expositions of a horrible past. The audience was completely mesmerized  and charmed.
There are many small, fine touring companies now, offering original plays or new interpretations of classic drama. Day Star with its new work and stylistic acting and staging techniques is one of the most intriguing companies around. If they come your way, don’t miss them.
                                                                                                                  Carla Phillips

The Magician’s Box is more than the large, well-finished wooden box standing centre stage, which turns into a desk, seating, a ledger, bathtub, horse-driven cart and, finally, a coffin. It’s the visual focus for this remarkable play, written and directed by Ann Courtney, performed by the formidable Mad Dogs and Englishmen Theatre Company.
It’s a historical play, a biography of a now forgotten Victorian industrialist and agricultural experimenter, John Joseph Mechi, an archetypal self-made man.
Son an an Italian barber fleeing from Revolutionary France, Mechi became a successful cutler, shopkeeper and manufacturer, by intelligence and an aptitude for hard work. His passionate interest in agriculature and purchase of a rundown Essex farm, which he transformed into a model farm, then wrote about, brought him fame. It ended sadly, as many things do.
As the playwright comments in her programme preface: “The play has many modern parallels, the path of commercial ambition, the conflict this has on family life, the fallout after financial institutions let down their investors. The list goes on. All the conflicts of a full life.”
This all may seem serious, possibly dreary, but not in the hands of these five magnificent actors. They dart between their 17 roles, making each instantly individual and immediately entertaining. The music which flows between scenes, the comedy vignettes - all make time stand still as enchantment reigns.
I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
                                                                                                                  Carla Phillips

Let’s face it. No divorce is brilliant. Pathos, sarcasm, grief, intertwined with broad, nicely bawdy comedy combine in Library Theatre’s latest touring play, ‘My Brilliant Divorce’, written by Geraldine Aron and performed by Deborah Kelly, accompanied by (recorded) interjections by Miachael Brooksbank as her mother, chums, ex-husband…

This tale of the trauma and trials of Angela, no longer a rock chick, definitely longish in tooth, with definite hypochondriac tendencies,  rejected by husband Max,  for young, nubile Rosa (Mexican, with Big Hair and incomplete English).  When Rosa falls out of the picture, following Max’s sudden illness, her place is taken by an even younger, nubile creature (also foreign with Big Hair and incomplete English). Poor Angela! Horrible dates, poor job prospects, uncomprehending and unsympathetic relations. But, it provided an entertaining evening at Wells Granary Theatre. A full house laughed and sympathised at one woman’s journey from misery to fulfilment, brilliantly performed by Deborah Kelly.

Accessible and enjoyable, Library Theatre from Yeadon, near Bolton, provided the full house with a grand evening out.

                                                                       -Carla Phillips

Dim light on stage. Dust sheets cover three large objects. Into this half light, a shabby, arthritic figure is creeping about.

We are in Samuel Beckett World- ‘Endgame’ as performed by Smoking Mic Touring Company at Wells Granary Theatre, Saturday night.

The dust sheets removed by the creeky figure of Clove in the centre stage reveal wheelchair bound Hamm. He is elderly, blind, face at first concealed by a stained, possibly bloodstained cloth. Behind the cloth, thick dark spectacles. Demanding, endlessly querulous, he is ministered to by Clov, the shambling, arthritic and resentful servant. The two other mounds onstage are dustbins, which are eventually revealed to contain Hamm’s parents, father Nagg and mother Nell.

The mutual hostility curdled together by mutual dependency fuel the dialogue between master and servant. In this enclosed and claustrophobic universe there are two windows. One faces the land, the other the sea. Nothing much ever goes on out there, reinforcing the clammy isolation of the stage interior. We are stuck in the middle of a doom-ridden allegory.

Hamm’s self preoccupation, his constant demand for attention, endlessly inconclusive monologues, are only interrupted by the dumb insolence of servant Clov, or the pathos injected by his parents, Nagg and Nell, unable to even reach out from their dustbins to caress each other.

Sad stuff, not easily grasped. However the majesty of Beckett’s language, peppered with comedic wit, are all beautifully transmitted by the wonderful acting of Bill Shelly as Hamm and Greg Powles as Clov, with fine playing by Roger Lee and Judy Tcherniak as the parents.

Richard Melchior, Smoking Mic’s director, has done a great job bringing this difficult but moving work to an outlying area like Wells, especially on such a freezing, icy, God-forsaken night.

                                                                              Carla Phillips

Innovative, quietly original Day Star Theatre gave theatre goers at Wells Granary Theatre an excellent evening. Day Star has just two players. Pete and Jane Marshall. The play, ‘A Matter of Time’, was written by Pete.
As usual in their productions there are two coat stands on stage, one on each side, each accommodating a few bits of cloth or clothing which serves as a change of costume and character. Each actor has three characters. The process of the change, dimly lit, graceful, meditative, is hypnotic to watch, subconsciously stirring curiosity. Whatever – whoever – next?
This play is set in the eccentric rural backwater of Long Ducking. The clock stopped still in 1964, and not much has happened since, even though the slightly crazed postman, Bernard, insists that this was when the alien invaders came.
The bucolic torpor of the village, punctuated by endless, pointless committee meetings, of frustrated unhappily married people, is interrupted by an invasion of contemporary life- a Turner Prize winner taking up residence, closely followed by a gutter press journalist on the trail of scandal, accompanied by his garish colleague, celeb photographer Tara with a double-barreled  name.
All is thrown into confusion as the six characters mix and interact in this ingeniously plotted drama.
This small company, thoughtful, beautiful to watch, unique, is one worth looking out for.

                                                                                                                                -Carla Phillips

Fanny Hill a beautiful country bumpkin, is lured into a life of Sin in Georgian London; poverty meeting greed and debauchery as society is exposed. Jane Collins played the lovely heroine and Debby Kelly her maid Phoebe, her companion, lover and narrator, as we witness her rise and rise through society, with Roger Cook and Mike Brooks playing the multitude of men who facilitate this.
Beautifully costumed with minimal sets well designed for any action, this play’s rapid pace and direct narrative kept the nearly full audience absolutely transformed.  This was a stunning evening and great performance.

A toddler plays happily with the simplest cardboard boxes and pieces of cloth, turning them into many, many different things within a short period of time. We marvel at these transformations, cherishing the wonderful imagination required.
Its parallel, in our (sadder|) adult world is live theatre at its most magical, when real people in the same room as us can transform our lives into theirs, often just using the most minimum of props – a few wooden pallets and stretches of muslin. In this simple way, Hotbuckle Touring Theatre Company gave the audience at Wells Granary their comprehensive version of ‘Great Expectations’.
This classic novel teems with characters, plots, subplots, many of them spilling over, almost at random, to be caught up deftly, then rewoven back into the sturdy thread of the story of Pop’s enlightenment, his hardwon attainment of virtue and heartfelt virtue. Pip is played by Ben Warwick, also the narrator.
The other four actors play a myriad of roles. Beautifully, I must  add. Adrian Preater, who adapted and directed this play, also acted as Magwitch, Pumblechook, the aged ‘P’ and Drummle.
Fiona Leaning, also creative director, was a splendidly cold mad Miss Havisham as well as Mrs Joe, Wemmick and the Boatman. And then, Christian Rennie played sympathetic Joe and sinister Jaggers as well as Compeyson.
Finally, I mustn’t omit Bobbi O’Callaghan, beautifully frigid as Estella, utterly wonderful as upper class twit Pocket and equally fine as Biddy. What superlative acting from them all!
Rapturously received by the lively audience, this was a standout evening. May we live to see them again here!

Slightly built, dark haired and thin, a young man decked up with  a tight skirt, stripy tights and enough makeup to consist of a fine collection of slap- this uncompromising, cross dressing, self proclaimed vegan transvestite Andrew O’Neill might not seem an easy match for the audience at Wells Granary Theatre on a dark January Saturday evening. I imagine that he asked himself about this when he glanced up at the silvery locks of much of the audience.  And, when he first started they eyeballed him steadily as well.
But – this was an incredibly successful evening, and was enjoyed by all present. Even if his humour is scabrous and the language is rough,the bracing beginning of the show yielded to the delight in his wit, his pleasure in storytelling, anecdote, his playful language. Centred around his hitchhiking experiences  (London to Edinburgh, anyone?) he completely enchanted this most improbable audience.
I’ve said this before: stand-up comedy is a peculiar  description for various one-man shows,, where single performers demonstrate an intoxication with language, description, wild imagination which has no exact equivalent anywhere else. Try and see it if you can.
And if the curious, stunning mixture which Andrew O’Neill serves up comes your way, give him a whirl.

Flanders and Swann, Tom Lehrer’ Victoria Wood – a long line of jolly piano music coupled with clever lyrics- has long delighted audiences. In this tradition, James Sherwood touring the country with ‘One Man and His Piano’ performed for the first time in Norfolk at Wells Granary Theatre on Saturday Night.
Starting with light-hearted mockery of some sloppy lyrics of our most cherished contemporary songwriters, from Elton to Queen, even encompassing the (Blessed) Beatles, he continued with ever more pointed jokes and songs, some political, some simply sharp digs at modern habits and beliefs, all told and sung in an unfailingly charming fashion.
The powerful force of the Wells grand piano may have overwhelmed his lyrics during the first act, but later, when Sherwood let rip his lovely singing voice in a counterpoint of the sickly ‘My Favourite Things’ (from ‘The Sound of Music’) coupled with  a recording of the persistent, powerfully sinister drinking song from Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’, the total effect was stunning- truly silencing.
And then, there was a delicious, witty encore – ‘The Song of Silvio’ (Berlusconi) which brought the house down.
It was James Sherwood’s first venture into these parts. Hopefully, it won’t be his last.

For an evening roundtrip performing gems from variety and music hall shows, Steve Barclay gave the audience at Wells Granary Theatre a good evening, on Saturday.
His master tour down memory lane was lightly fashioned into a story of Johnny Rainbow, an old-fashioned artiste on his uppers (played by Mr Barclay), unable and unwilling to change with the times.
The evening consisted of some old familiar jokes, audience participation, a hilarious puppet routine and some lovely songs, beautifully sung by Mr Barclay, who has a sweet true voice, and was ably accompanied by the very fine keyboards of David       

Perhaps the rather busy posters hadn’t conveyed a true idea of how entertaining the show was; perhaps there wasn’t enough advance publicity.
In an area where Thursford and Cromer Pavilion provide popular, well supported shows, this one would seem to be a natural.

Two other unbilled stand-up comics started the show on a Saturday evening. Pleasant enough, slightly smuttty, they occupied the stage fairly agreeably for the first act but I wouldn’t turn out or brave bad weather, just for them.

However, after the break, Patrick Monahan appeared. All is forgiven!

What is the precise formula for his mixture of daftness, fantasy, goofiness and observation, fuelled by details of supermarket shopping, fast-food dining, going to a dance - which completely enchants and amuses his audience?

How is he able to lure members of this audience, pretty diverse, on to a stage, to perform alongside him, without raising the slightest spectre of embarrassment or humiliation?

I don’t know how he does it but his large audience was completely captivated, bouyed by laughter and the shared friendship he manages to generate.

This is the second time I’ve seen him.  When he returns next year, I’ll be back!

“French Fancies” at Wells Granary Theatre, Sunday May 8th, consisted of several dramatised Guy de Maupassant stories with musical accompaniment: folk songs, operatic airs, some original music.

It was a Two Friends Production (previously responsible for the charming ‘Pretty Witty Nell’ which was cherished by local audiences two years ago). Written and produced by Caroline Harding, this too was appreciated by an enthusiastic audience.

The cast of three: Victorian Brazier, Amy Rhiannon Worth and Patrick Bridgman, were marvellously adept actors, singers instrumentalists – their flexibility aided by the well-designed set and the utterly gorgeous costumes, the witty dialogue and rapid pace made this a memorable evening.

What lucky people they are in Wells to be able to see such a fine performance. Don’t miss this company if they’re playing near you!                                                                                  

First of all- it’s great to see an audience of all ages at the theatre. Especially when they’re enthralled witnessing a performance of wit and skill combining poetry (lovely doggerel), puppetry, gorgeous costumes, props and lighting. These combined to make ‘James and the Giant Peach’ truly memorable when performed by Smoking Mic Theatre Company at Wells Granary Theatre last Friday.

It’s a skillful version of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book. Adapted by director (and performer) Richard Melchior, this is the story of little James Trotter, suddenly orphaned, now the beast of burden of wicked old aunts Sponge and Spiker. He burrows into the body of the magically enormous giant peach in their orchard. Liberated from his servitude by the fortunate deaths of Spiker and Sponge (run over by the peach), together with his fellow residents of the giant fruit – insects- he embarks upon several adventures as the giant fruit rolls away over land and sea.

Happiness, wickedness, fun, fantasy and friendship are all encompassed in this lovely drama. It’s delightful to look at – the insects with their varied character and colourful costumes are splendid. There is never a dull moment. Even if you’re childless or child-free, you’ll still be able to revive those youthful inner fires by coming along, when it reaches a theatre near you.