Respecting Your Piers

by PETER QUILTER

Produced by BILL ROGERS

Performed in January 2001

Five women inherit equal shares in a dilapidated pleasure pier and are forced to settle their differences in order to get the pier operational again.

There is Pam, the embittered mother; Theresa, the confused daughter; Betty, the eccentric grandmother; Jackie the health addict and Sharon, the loud-mouthed punk. This farcical comedy takes it humour from the culture clashes between the women, two of whom are sworn enemies!

The play was reviewed in the News Post Leader by Brian Bennett as follows:

The Valley Players were faced with a huge dilemma when they tackled their latest production. Respecting Your Piers in Seaton Delaval Community Centre last week.  Attempting at short notice to try and arrange a deputy for top singing celebrity Shirley Bassey proved an insurmountable task and Pam's efforts to 'carry out' a Stars in their eyes look-alike of the legendary Miss Bassey, couldn't have failed more miserably!

Pam - played so well by Jackie Dawson in this offering where five women inherit equal shares in a dilapidated pleasure pier - was struck by stage fright after making her entrance and within seconds, was heading for a sharp exit!  Diamonds are Forever would almost certainly have been included in Miss Bassey's selection at the Seaside Pier. But whilst the paying public missed out at the Pier, the live and capacity audience at Seaton Delaval, witnessed five diamonds whose performances will live forever!

The five made Peter Quilter's two act, but 12 scene play the success it was -and all credit to producer Bill Rogers.  Youngster Gemma Rogers gave an eye catching performance as Theresa, daughter of Pam whilst Madeleine Gair as eccentric grandmother Betty, played her part to the full Sue Barkwill can rest assured that her debut with the Players as punk Sharon went very well whilst Nicky Wilkes was confident in the role of Jackie who was embroiled in a bitter crossfire of words with Pam. However, on casting an eye through a Shirley Bassey compact disc, with tracks including Where do I begin and Never, never, never (both most appropriate to Pam!), I wonder if the great female singer somehow had a premonition of being the centre of attention for an impending stage production!

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