REVIEW: Curtain Up at Pinewood Theatre

The East Berkshire Operatic Society production of ‘Curtain Up’ was an easy watch fun production about five women who inherit shares in a rundown theatre from a dead man who was in turn a husband, ex-husband, father and son to the women involved.

To save the theatre, they decide, much in the ‘Hey, girls let’s put a show on right here’ vein to produce a fund raising concert complete with an ‘International Legendary Superstar’ topping the bill.

With well written parts for a full female cast to showcase their comedy skills, this was a bit of slow burner to begin with but soon had the audience thoroughly enjoying themselves watching the group’s antics on and off stage, the highlight of which was when hilariously presenting the ‘International Legendary Superstar’.

Helen Hall and Lesley Richards as the bickering ex-wife and second wife and Gillian Allbone as the daughter gave both amusing and watchable performances and Abi Burrows as Sharon displayed some good comic timing, but for me it was Anna McCormack as Nan who stole the show. Her splendid over the top performance was comedy gold.

This was a very enjoyable piece of comedy theatre from curtain up to curtain down.

The East Berkshire Operatic Society will be performing Curtain Up at the Pinewood Theatre, Old Wokingham Road, until Saturday, April 2.