WITH 19 available actors, several with limited acting experience, but all eager to be part of Sidbury Into Drama’s latest offering, the choice of two one act plays to accommodate them all would seem to be a daunting task.

However, ‘Speed Dating’ the first of the two plays provided a role for fourteen, each performing a duologue with a partner of the opposite sex.

The play, by Brian Langtry, is light hearted entertainment and director Judith Smith made the right decision in presenting caricatures of all the parts and making the most of the sometimes coarse comedy.

Saturday night’s packed audience clearly found the recipe to their liking.

Following the interval. with a generous buffet provided by the ladies of Sidbury WI, we settled down to enjoy Alan Aykbourn’s comedy ‘Gosforth’s Fete’.

Skilfully directed by Lynden Webb with a cast of experienced players, they quickly achieved the pace and comedy timing so necessary for this hilarious account of a rain-sodden Village Fete to succeed.

A very energetic performance from David Maltby as Gordon Gosforth set the pace, extracting every bit of comic business possible.

His accent (from somewhere up North) was rather mannered and became a little irritating, but this was a fine performance, nicely balanced by the calm and efficient Milly Carter in the competent handa of Sheila Lewis.

A very haughty councillor Emma Pearce played by Sue Gooding beautifully dressed in an oyster pink outfit, gloves and a smart feathered hat made a most memorable second entrance later in the play after having fallen over in a ploughed field appeared literally soaked, covered in mud, with hat, stockings and shoes completely ruined – but with dignity and poise intact – a lovely moment

Chris Bradnock was every inch a vicar, each platitude delivered with perfect timing, while John Rush as Scoutmaster Stewart Stokes made a very convincing yet understated drunk to good effect.

Lighting and convincing sound effects contributed well to the production which was a real village team effort, and the full house for all three performances are evidence of the deserved popularity of Sidbury into Drama.