• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chandler's Ford Today

  • Home
  • About
    • About Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research
  • Blog
    • Blogging Tips
  • Event
    • Upcoming Events
  • Community
    • Groups
    • Churches
    • Schools
    • GP Surgeries
    • Leisure
    • Library
    • Charities
      • Eastleigh Basics Bank
      • Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler’s Ford
    • Fair Trade
      • Traidcraft stalls in Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford Parish Council
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Site Policies
  • Site Archive
    • Site Archive 2018
    • Site Archive 2017
    • Site Archive 2016
    • Site Archive 2015
You are here: Home / Community / Review: An Evening of Entertainment with Chandler’s Ford MDG Players and Friends from Romsey

Review: An Evening of Entertainment with Chandler’s Ford MDG Players and Friends from Romsey

March 26, 2017 By Ben Williams 3 Comments

Last Friday I watched three short comedy performances at the Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church performed by the MDG Players and their friends from Romsey. Unlike the previous performances I’ve seen, this was a variety of plays with different characters and plots, with different styles of comedy.

Chandler's Ford MDG Players, spring 2017 productions.
Chandler’s Ford MDG Players, spring 2017 productions.

Neighbourhood Watch

The first play was Neighbourhood Watch (by Liz Dobson) and it was very much like a Monty Python ensemble piece.

The basic plot is a neighbourhood watch group in a village calling a policewoman to investigate their missing items. The set up is simple and there’s only one setting, but there are several great twists. For example, the final revelation that the characters had committed fraud and tried to claim insurance was hilarious. I genuinely didn’t see that twist coming, and it’s really funny and worth the set up. What makes it funnier was the naivety of the policewoman not knowing the truth despite the other characters knowing the exact value of their items.

Neighbourhood Watch cast -Chandler's Ford MDG Players, March 2017.

Tom-Tom

The second play, Tom-Tom (by John Peel), is reminiscent of a Fry and Laurie skit due to only having two characters and one situation. It’s about a couple’s simple car trip to Oxford going horribly wrong due to the Tom-Tom device being – interesting, to say the least. This is my favourite of the three, as it reminds me of several car journeys I’ve been on with my parents, with disputes over music, map reading and where to go. It’s very well paced and very funny, with the situation just getting more and more absurd by the minute, such as the Tom-Tom interacting with the characters as if it were a human.

Tom-Tom cast - Chandler's Ford MDG Players, March 2017.

The funniest recurring gag was the Tom Tom’s repetition of “Please turn around where possible”, but the man refused to listen and got into more trouble. The timing was spot on, especially when the car hit the speed bumps, the characters visibly jumped from their seats, provoking big laughs.

“Please turn around where possible” - Tom-Tom.
“Please turn around where possible” – Tom-Tom.
Mike and Chris Slatcher in Tom-Tom.
Mike and Chris Slatcher in Tom-Tom.

Dovetail Singers

During the interval, there were wartime songs performed by Dovetail Singers while everyone enjoyed the tea and cakes. Obviously I wasn’t around during World War Two and I wasn’t familiar with the songs, but I got a real sense of patriotism and Britishness (yes that is a word) from them. The songs were performed in characters of people from the time, and their songs were stirring the spirit of the people. The audience could still relate to the spirit of the war time, even though the war was over 70 years ago.

Anna Ruff, member of the Dovetail Singers.
Anna Ruff, member of the Dovetail Singers.
Dovetail Singers entertaining audience during the interval.
Dovetail Singers entertaining audience during the interval.
Audience enjoyed lovely tea and cakes (prepared from the wartime kitchen).
Audience enjoyed lovely tea and cakes (prepared from the wartime kitchen).
Chandler's Ford audience enjoyed a sing-along of wartime songs.
Chandler’s Ford audience enjoyed a sing-along of wartime songs.

Lads and Lasses Army

The final piece, Lads and Lasses Army (by Irene Bourne), reminded me a lot of Blackadder, however my dad said it was more like Dad’s Army, which I haven’t actually seen any of. It was set during the Second World War and was about the Home Guard. I study History at school and I learn about the Home Front during the First World War. The premise of this play is that six Home Guard soldiers are recruiting women into their team, and hilarity ensues. There’s a hilarious recurring gag about one of the soldiers requesting “permission to speak” and there’s a lot of humour regarding the captain’s insistence on rules and authority.

The leader of the women, Mrs Clark, is more competent and knowledgeable than the male soldiers, who are supposed to be more superior. This subverts the expected role of women in the war. My favourite character is Bombardier Browne, who was the Baldrick of the gang, although slightly more competent.

Lads and Lasses Army by Romsey Methodist Players
Lads and Lasses Army by Romsey Methodist Players
Lads and Lasses Army by Romsey Methodist Players
Lads and Lasses Army by Romsey Methodist Players

Lads and Lasses Army, Romsey Methodist Players 2017.

Overall this was a fantastic evening with three very different and very funny performances. I highly recommend you watch more upcoming performances from the MDG Players and their friends from Romsey.

Here are a few short video clips of the nostalgic wartime favourites presented by Dovetail Singers, and a sing-along. The songs included:

  • (There’ll be bluebirds over) the white cliffs of Dover
  • All the nice girls love a sailor
  • Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
  • It’s a long way to Tipperary
  • Don’t sit under the apple tree
  • Keep the home-fires burning
  • We’ll meet again

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email

Related posts:

Review: Five Go Mad for Shakespeare by Chandler’s Ford MDG and Romsey Players Feature Image - MDG Players Review - Shakespeare. Many thanks to the MDG Players for the programme.MDG Players and Romsey Players – Five Go Mad for Shakespeare – Review Best of Chandler’s Ford Today: Top 12 Theatre Reviews Review by Hazel Bateman: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players MDG Players next production is *‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’* by Eddie Robson on Thursday 28^th – Saturday 30^th November in the Dovetail Centre Café at 7.30pm.Review: Chandler’s Ford MDG Players: ‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’
Tags: arts and crafts, Chandler's Ford, community, entertainment, event, local interest, MDG Players, Methodist Church, review, Romsey, social, theatre, Winchester Road

About Ben Williams

Ben is studying film and English at University of Southampton. He writes cool stuff - science fiction, Doctor Who, film reviews, and history.

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Jane Archer - A Simple Vision, and 37 Years Leading The Coffee Room at Dovetail Centre - Chandler's Ford Today says:
    July 1, 2017 at 2:02 pm

    […] Review: An Evening of Entertainment with Chandler’s Ford MDG Players and Friends from Romsey […]

    Reply
  2. Dovetail Art Project with Revd David Hollingsworth - Chandler's Ford Today says:
    January 20, 2018 at 9:38 pm

    […] Review: An Evening of Entertainment with Chandler’s Ford MDG Players and Friends from Romsey […]

    Reply
  3. Review: Five Go Mad for Shakespeare by Chandler's Ford MDG and Romsey Players - Chandler's Ford Today says:
    April 21, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    […] Review: An Evening of Entertainment with Chandler’s Ford MDG Players and Friends from Romsey […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Chandler's Ford Today blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Top Posts & Pages

999, 111, 101, 112? Emergency Numbers You Must Know
101 Things to Put into Room 101
Questions In Fiction
Home
Another Potters Heron Story Before the 1966 Fire
101 Things to Put into Room 101 - Part 7 - The Final Leg
Another Turn of the Potter's Wheel
David Beckham's Chinese Tattoo
Blog
Education

Categories

Tags

arts and crafts books Chandler's Ford Chandler's Ford Today Chandler’s Ford community charity Christianity Christmas church community creative writing culture Eastleigh Eastleigh Borough Council education entertainment event family fundraising gardening gardening tips good neighbours Hiltingbury Hiltingbury Road history hobby how-to interview Joan Adamson Joan Adelaide Goater local businesses local interest memory Methodist Church music nature news reading review social storytelling theatre travel Winchester Road writing

Recent Comments

  • Allison Symes on Paragraphs and Punctuation in Fiction
  • Mike Sedgwick on Paragraphs and Punctuation in Fiction
  • Robbie Sprague on Mrs Doncaster
  • Jill Leask on Mrs Doncaster
  • Allison Symes on Originality in Fiction
  • Mike Sedgwick on Originality in Fiction

Regular Writers and Contributors

Janet Williams Allison Symes Mike Sedgwick Rick Goater Doug Clews chippy minton Martin Napier Roger White Andy Vining Gopi Chandroth Nicola Slade Wellie Roger Clark Ray Fishman Hazel Bateman SO53 News

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

Reviews of local performances and places

Reviews of local performances and places

Copyright © 2022 Chandler's Ford Today. WordPress. Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.