When a play has the Masterson seal, it very rarely disappoints. After surviving nineteen
years on the Fringe, Guy Masterson is a master pedagogue, a purveyor of quality Fringe shows, and the Sociable Plover is one from his top drawer.
This is one very difficult play to tell the story of, without giving away the wonderful twists and turns of the plot. However, try I must.
Tim Whitnall's script is superb, it is a comedy of manners, dark indeed black in bits but
highly comedic. Fun lines like "I was Nijinsky with Mr Muscle", or "a lifetime of Paste" stay in the memory.
Picture the scene, a birdwatcher's hut or hide on the marshes, an anal retentive, obsessive
compulsive twitcher is laying out his space for today's ornithological session, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare Vanellus gregarius, the Sociable Plover which would complete his collection of twitched British birds.
Our first view is of a pedantic and precise Roy Tunt (Guy Masterson) constructing his mobile desk within the hide, pencils to attention, all things in their meticulous place.
Suddenly a stranger arrives in the hut, Magwitch style, wet, highly suspicious, a working
class Londoner called Dave (Ronnie Toms). It would appear the stranger is the exact opposite of the middleclass Roy.
The "townie", Jack the lad labourer, verses the Tory countryman, could be implied. Condescension becomes the immediate language weapon used by Roy to dominate the situation.
So it begins and that's as far as I am going to take the story, although what I will tell you is that the twists and turns of this play are exquisite and are beautifully unpredictable. It's a brilliant journey of a story, extremely well told by two superb craftsmen who work well off each other.
The interactive relationship between Masterson and Toms builds beautifully, and nostalgically reminded me of the very best acting, from the Play for Today series of the
black and white television days.
This a brilliant two hander of a play, in which the acting, writing, and direction give us a masterclass in what criteria should be applied when you talk about the very best of Fringe theatre. Enough said! No there's a bit more.
Simply, excellent, thank you for an extremely enjoyable afternoon, gentlemen!
John Ritchie, August 13th
Times: 7-31 August, 1.40pm