I was privileged last week to go to a distinctive and unique show performed by the members of Tipton Players and Pantomime Society in the Tipton Community Hall, writes a member of the audience.
Detention! took a class of naughty children, who were in detention, through history from the Victorians to the end of the Second World War by means of songs, dances and films, all linked by the history teacher, well played by Brian Rice, giving the background to each era.
The naughty children, who gave an excellent performance of Revolting Children to open the show, had some amusing lines and good movement.
They all came from the TIPPS junior department who, I was told, meet once a week for various drama activities.
From the poverty during the Victorian era to the sinking of the Titanic in Edwardian times, where a rendition of the very challenging To the Lifeboats was well and imaginatively handled.
Some extremely moving WW1 poetry led on to a very clever silhouette story backed by an unaccompanied rendition of Only Remember, which many recognised from War Horse. The emotion running through the audience was palpable when the curtain fell at the end of the first act.
The second act was more upbeat, going through the Roaring Twenties and the 1930s with a very amusing silent film demonstrating the advancement of film from silent to black and white and then colour. The children learnt about air raid sirens, gas masks and being evacuated to the country during World War 2 and everything finished with some soldiers coming home to a rapturous welcome, with much singing and dancing.
I learnt that Natalie Anning who wrote the show and Claire Devin, who co-directed it with her, had come up through the junior ranks some years ago. They are to be congratulated on a wonderful show and a great performance.
JANE BLAKE
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