BLONDE BOMBSHELLS OF 1943 REVIEW

OCTAGON THEATRE, BOLTON – UNTIL SATURDAY 1 JULY 2023

REVIEWED BY ZOE BROWN

5 *****

I always enjoy a trip to the Octagon Theatre, not least because they have created a real community feel. You get the sense the audience comes back time and again for its cozy auditorium, friendly staff, and a dedication to producing some of the region’s finest productions.

Not to disappoint this performance of Alan Plater’s ‘Blonde Bombshells’ meant I left the theatre with that satisfying buzz of a great night out. Plater’s story of a war-time bandleader searching for new recruits came to him from a memory of Ivy Benson, a doughty Yorkshire woman, who ran all-women bands for 40 years, touring the length and breadth of Britain. Ivy would often have trouble hanging on to her players as they fell prey to romances, leading to mass defections!

The evening began with simple uncluttered staging depicting the sorry tatters of bomb-stricken community hall circa 1943. The ingenious design by Jess Curtis allowed for a staging that could be moved to represent a change of venue. The first half gave us a fabulous introduction to the musical talents of our cast, thanks to the musical direction of Greg Last, who I believe only had weeks to bring this ensemble together. Much like a war-time version of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, minus the joke entrants only there to be made fun of, this was a masterclass of musical artistry. Lead by the strong and assertive performance of Georgina Field as Betty we got to eavesdrop on an audition to join the Blonde Bombshells for a very special upcoming event, performing live on the BBC radio.

Gleanne Purcell-Brown as the exciting and effervescent Nun Lily, Stacey Ghent as the vivacious and oft socially detached somewhat elevated Miranda were captivating to watch.

Sarah Groarke as Vera, Alice McKenna as Grace, Verity Bajoria as May, the founding members of the band, carried the dry wit and men-weary humour with aplomb. Lauren Chinery as Liz, our naïve unassuming schoolgirl was a delight, not to mention a joy to hear singing. Lastly, our only man in this all-female band? Rory Gradon as Patrick held his own, even if at times there are uncomfortable and socially unacceptable behaviours given our modern viewpoint on age-appropriate relationships.

My only critique, a small but valuable one, is that, as a hard of hearing person, there was the occasional instance I could not hear some of the actors’ lines due to poor diction or a lack of projection. As a theatre in the round production, I accept this can create challenges, especially if actors have their backs to you. But it is something to be carefully considered. Thankfully it was occasional and did not hamper enjoyment of the show overall. For those who prefer not to miss a beat there is a BSL interpreted and captioned performance Tue, 20th June, 7:30pm.

I would not describe this production solely as a ‘play’ in the traditional sense, more like a musical feast of multi-talented actor musos performing fabulous 40’s numbers loosely held together by storyline. However, that did not detract from what was a wonderful event.