8:37am Friday 3rd July 2009
By Ruth Meech
THE brave, yet usually chaotic, world of amateur dramatics is being laid bare – by Dorchester’s part-time acting corps.
The Great Coarse Acting Show, by Michael Green, is a side-achingly hilarious examination of the world of am-dram, a universe of egos, ineptitude and a few rare nuggets of brilliance and talent.
Divided into four segments, it is being staged by Dorchester Drama in the gorgeous setting of the county town’s Roman House.
The quartet of playlets are the DH Lawrence-esque A Collier’s Tuesday Tea, a mock opera Il Fornicazione, Oedicles – a spoof Greek tragedy along the lines of Antigone – and a gallop through Moby Dick in eight pages, instead of Herman Melville’s original 695.
Dorchester Drama’s Trevor Williams said: “Every single one is fraught with danger and disaster. Things that shouldn’t happen do happen and things that should happen don’t. And things go wrong.
“It will make people laugh. There have been times when we had to stop rehearsals because we were laughing so much. It really is hysterical in parts.”
Michael Green wrote The Great Coarse Acting Show in 1954.
Trevor said: “The plays are a bit like the Eric Morecambe sketch where someone knows the words but can’t get them in the right order. It’s like dancing when you know the moves but have no rhythm.
“If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.”
He added: “Last year we did Antigone as our outdoor production, which was a typical Greek tragedy. So this year we decided to do something lighter and fluffy – which includes a parody of last year’s play!”
The Great Coarse Acting Show is at the Roman Town House, Dorchester from Thursday to Saturday, July 9 to 11 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £8 in advance from Words etc in Cornhill, South Street, and £9 on the night.
The town house gates open at 6.30pm for picnics.
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