Review: A Wet and Windy Night by Declan Cleary

Director Martin Brackpool also had a lead role as a very camp Sam de Ville. Charlie Wycherley played both Phil Masterson and his twin brother Bob.

The plot was quite complicated and revolved around the relationships and sexuality of a group of people who through various circumstances all ended up in a country house one wet and windy night.

There were rumours that there would be nudity on stage, but this turned out to be hype, although the content and goings on, although devoid of obscenity, would have raised some eyebrows.

How Tim Leete, as Robin (aka Robyn) Hartnell will in future cope with public appearances remains to be seen, having shown off his underpants and carried off a dual gender role.

Mike Pinchard was the lecherous and drunken Mr Norman, whose attempts at having an 'overnight fling' were foiled by an odd car accident, an upset tummy and the fact that his young victim's boyfriend (Bob Masterson) appeared on the scene.

He experienced difficulty in convincing his wife, played by Monica Gossage, and the village Bobby that he was an innocent at large.

Di Lane, as Samantha, was the young vamp who started off on an overnight adventure with Mr Norman but finished up in bed with Bob Masterson, with whom she had previously broken off a relationship after a row. No-one ever believed that she was Mr Norman's niece.

The twisted relationships were complemented by Jill Clark, as Terri Masterson, who was at the outset married to Phil Masterson but had Robin Hartnell as a lover and then had to pretend that, in his guise as Robyn, was her sister, although they later married.

The plot thickened and the final scene revolved around a wedding. The audience surely believed that the happy couple were Samantha and Bob. But, no, it turned out to be Sam and Phil, after Sam had undergone a 'little surgery'.

But that was not the end of the surprises. Village Bobby, PC Perkins, otherwise known as Peter Jones, 'came out' and declared that he was going to become a WPC, displaying the bra he was wearing to prove it and Samantha declared that she was previously named Colin!

Jackie Evans was the oft times startled domestic, Mrs Carpenter and producer was Jane Grist. The single set was excellent as were lighting and special effects.

Author Declan Cleary was in the audience on the night I attended and he told me that he was proud of the Players, who were brave in giving the play its first airing and praised them for the amount of work that they had put into the production. He commented that although he had put the words on paper, they had brought them alive and made the whole thing actually better than he had written.

Reg Stone