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Adapted by Dale Wasserman from the book by Ken Kesey. Directed by Helen Page
Performed on Thursday 17th June - Saturday 19th June 2010 at Pentyrch Village Hall
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Summary
The Story of Randle McMurphy & his time on the ward has been classically portrayed by Jack Nicholson & that image is not easy to overcome. However, Hilltop succeeded in transporting us from Pentyrch to the oppressive atmosphere of a "Therapeutic Community!". The moment the curtains opened we were transported to a seedy, un-loved institution. The set could have been taken directly from a local mental health institution & gave a real sense of oppression. The "inmates" appeared, aimlessly & all displaying classic, varying signs of mental distress. Each character was faultlessly depicted & it is hard to single out anyone from the close Knit & hard working cast. I was stunned by the range of behaviours & the way not a single person ever let anything drop. Billy Bibbit, played by Richard Jones was excellent & Dale Harding (Tim Driscoll) showed real feeling & despair. I spent the evening in silent fury at the unprofessional, uncaring attitude of all the staff who are the real source of misery for the patients. Nurse Ratched was wonderfully cruel & destructive & the incompetence & lack of awareness of Dr Spivey was matched by the Aides real enjoyments of their power. However, the real heart of the story comes from Randle McMurphy played by Dai Williams. His Brash Joie de vivre brought the stage alive & was the catalyst for so much change in the characters. Dai controlled the stage whenever he was there & the wonder scene at the end of the first Act where all the in-mates are united, supportive & engaged was tremendously strong. There were a few first night technical gremlins to tighten up, but these would easily be ironed out to provide a slick & deeply moving play. The characterisation was outstanding & Director Helen Page will undoubtedly be very proud of what she achieved. This was an excellent performance, by a well rehearsed & thoughtful cast. There were tears in the eyes of many at the end. Congratulations to all concerned. Ruth Crowder
Cast (in order of appearance) "Chief" Bromden Mike Beavan Aide Warren Matthew Beavan Aide Williams Andreas Constantinou Nurse Ratched Tracey Richards Nurse Flinn Becky Church Dale Harding Tim Driscoll Billy Bibbit Richard Jones Charles Cheswick Bill Pithers Scanlon Huw Williams Martini Ian Jones Ruckley Martyn Lench Randle P. McMurphy Dai Williams Dr. John Spivey George Atkins Aide Turkle Mark Pinches Candy Starr Fleur Greening Sandra Victoria Walters
Production Team Director/Producer Helen Page Assistant Director/Producer Rhys Stapleton, General Assistant Jan Stapleton Stage Manager Wayne Brewer Set Design/Construction Wayne Brewer, Llwyd Herniman, Rhys Stapleton Wardrobe Sue Gambarini Backstage Support Members & Friends of Hilltop Properties Lynne Newbury Sound Effects/Theme music Dai Williams, Tim Driscoll Continuity Anne Morris Business Manager Bob Petersen Programme Sue O Halloran Marketing Richard Jones House Manager Bob Petersen Bar Manager Iain Campbell, Ray Claridge Front of House Members and Friends of Hilltop Box Office Brenda Slaughter
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