The Wetherby Whaler, Guiseley – 18 May 2023
Reviewed By Sal E Marion
5*****
The multi-award winning Mikron Theatre Company delighted a very satisfied audience, due to the delicious fish and chips we consumed at the Wetherby Whaler, Guiseley, and of course the fabulous performance of their new play, A Force To Be Reckoned With, brilliantly written by Amanda Whittington and directed by Gitika Buttoo.
The amazing and highly talented cast: Eddie Ahrens, Hannah Baker, Harvey Badger and Rachel Hammond took us back to 1952, Woodfield Police Station, where recruit, WPC Iris Armstrong was attending her first week of duties. Helping Iris out was WPC Ruby Western, who we found to be an excellent officer, eager to climb the ranks in this ‘man’s world’ of a system where the women were expected to ‘put the kettle on’.
Throughout the play we see Iris grow from a stiff-upper-lipped girl guide into a sharp minded policewoman, with a warm and less naïve approach through the trials and tribulations of her first few days ‘on the beat’. Ruby gets turned down when she tries to follow her dreams and enter higher ranks (feeling that she was not successful because of her gender) and ends her affair with married colleague, her boss, Jim. ‘Life isn’t always black and white’ and ‘We all have secrets, we do’ were lyrics that had poignant meanings and Ruby outlined that their job was one that is like no other, extremely intense and so the lines get blurred sometimes within the police officer’s personal lives.
As always with a Mikron performance the love was abundant in the room. The cast and crew have a special relationship with the audience, many who have been going to see them for years and who are never disappointed! The interaction between the actors and their patrons feels heart-warming because the characters feel like people you know, people who could be in that audience; so are relatable. I always learn so much too at a Mikron play so it ticks every box: laughter, love and learning and I can’t wait for the next one!