A mediocre production of a good play may still be enjoyable; but a mediocre play remains mediocre no matter how clever the direction and capable the acting.
Peter Stansfield, who started out directing plays by Shakespeare, Congreve, Moliere, Ibsen and Chekhov and then moved on to contemporary writers like Stoppard, Pinter, Ayckbourn and Bennett, regrets what has happened to a lot of amateur theatre.
"These writers were at one time automatically part of a good theatre's programme. However, for whatever reasons there has been a leaning towards tepid thrillers or TV-inspired comedies, which are all too easy for an undemanding audience to enjoy.
"If that sounds like a grumpy old man, it is because bad work annoys me. All too rarely a fine new play by a young dramatist emerges such as Charlotte Jones," he said.
Her play, Humble Boy, is the next production of Bingley Little Theatre.
"The quality of the writing in this play is remarkable and the dramatic structure is very sound. The writing should present the cast and audience with a great challenge and insights into human nature with some wonderful comic moments," Mr Stansfield added.
Humble Boy, described as a wry, witty portrait of middle-class England, is a comedy about broken vows, failed hopes and the joys of bee-keeping. The original London production starred Diana Rigg as Flora Humble and William Gaunt as Jim, the gardener.
A triangular relationship is further complicated by the affair that two of the three, Felix and Flora, had several years before.
During the play we discover they had a daughter. However Felix is unaware of this until his mother reveals all.
The cast includes BLT regulars such as David Templeton, Freda Denbigh, Glen Boldy, Janet Thomas and Bruce Sturrock. Susan Ward is making her debut with the company.
Humble Boy is on at Bingley Arts Centre from May 14-19, starting at 7.30pm. The box office number is (01274) 432000.
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