Taking part in How Does Your Garden Grow? are, front, from left, Mike Santer, Glenys Williams, Pete Harris, Abi Harris and Becky Deri; back, Denise Farrow, Faye Farrin, Peter Farrin, Pam Cranefield and George Webster.
STAGE REVIEWSPACE was an issue for The Pepperpot Players in their production of Geoff Bamber’s How Does Your Garden Grow?
Niton Village Hall was not an ideal venue for this particular play, as the tiny stage meant the actors were restricted in their movements and the climax lacked the chaos required by a farce such as this.
The story was set at Lakeview Hotel and had a promising beginning, with Peter and Faye Farrin as the hapless hotel owner Peter Fenton and his wife, Jane, squabbling in a way the Fawltys would be proud of.
Flashes of brilliance were provided by the language barrier between Abi Harris as Saskia and every other cast member and her Latvian accent must be commended.
Mike Santer clearly enjoyed himself playing rock god Nathan Pond but his accent was questionable, especially when placed alongside Glenys Williams as Cassandra Blue.
Easy comedy came in the form of Pete Harris as Martin Trott and he provided some of the biggest laughs with his novel approach to human resources and positive thinking.
Like many a good farce, the plot was peppered with illicit love affairs, one of which was between ice maiden Ruth Bleach and lusty banker Roger Crompton, played by Pam Cranefield and George Webster.
The story was punctuated by the strange appearances of Becky Deri as stalker Daphne Flannel, who was always one step ahead of Denise Farrow’s straight-laced WPC Wendy Primm.
The enthusiasm of the cast was evident throughout and, although the play itself could have been slicker, the audience enjoyed it nonetheless.