Turning the Tables: A Stage Review

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending Origins Theatre Company’s production of Turning The Tables. In a one night only sell-out show, six fifteen-minute plays were performed to an eager audience inside The Sail Loft of the Bargeman’s Rest pub in Newport.

The plays performed showcased the top six winning and highly commended entries of Origins Theatre Company’s “From Page to Stage” play-writing competition—and the quality of writing was clearly very high.

The audience were treated to a unique format and setting, which saw the action taking place down a central aisle in a ‘traverse theatre’ layout.

The audience were also joined by several of the writers behind the mastermind plays, who watched their work come alive onstage for the very first time.

Deliciously dark and devilishly funny, Turning The Tables contained all the traditional elements of a black comedy play—but with a plethora of brilliant plot twists and turns added along the way.

Paul Gwinnett and Robbie Gwinnett offered up a great performance as father and son in the first play, Gunpoint. The play began with a dishevelled Roy (played by Paul Gwinnett) pelting down the aisle to escape his gun-wielding son (Robbie Gwinnett), who decided that his father should pay the ultimate price for walking out on the family.  In a hilarious twist, the father decided to ask for a do-over of his death scene so that he could avoid dying to clichéd phrases.

The second play of the evening, Sway, opened with Milo (Reuben Loake) attempting to hang himself whilst on-off girlfriend, Greta (played by Eleanor Jane Spicer), antagonised and mocked him.  Whilst Kitty (Emilly Scott-Denness) stormed onto stage, begging the duo to stop their games, Greta’s taunts took a darker turn as she tried to convince Milo to commit suicide and become a “legend”. 

Eleanor Jane Spicer shone out, providing a fantastic portrayal of the bitter and goading Greta. Reuben, as Milo, was equally excellent when he snapped and “turned the tables” on Greta in a deadly finale. The play was gripping from start-to-finish, with a rollercoaster of emotions impressively displayed by all three actors.

A personal highlight was the third play, Home Truths, which focused upon a nervous son (Robbie Gwinnett) attempting to “come out” to his parents.  Maureen Sullivan was excellent as the gossipy and loquacious Moira, who repeatedly foiled her son’s attempts to share his news.  In an amusing final scene, when the truth was finally revealed, the father (Paul Gwinnett) divulged that he had a few skeletons—or dresses—of his own in his closet.

Kevin Wilson and Amelia Havard were brilliant in A Valued Employee as the battle between employer and former employee began. Kevin Wilson presented a calm and stoical Mr. Trace, which was perfectly offset against the emotional whirlwind that was the unhinged Natalie (Amelia Havard). Alongside dramatic arguments and failed seductions, the audience enjoyed some light-hearted comedy as it was revealed that the Natalie’s prescribed medication was, in fact, a packet of Tic Tacs.

In Venus Retrograde, a love affair between two work colleagues turned sour as true colours and feelings were exposed. Fiona Gwinnett and Suzi Chilton, as Helen and Becky, gave convincing performances whilst discussing Jake’s (played by Reuben Loake) betrayal and seduction of the new girl at work. Likewise, the tension and sniping between smooth-talking Jake and cruelly spurned Helen (Fiona Gwinnett) was fantastic.  As the play progressed, it soon became clear that revenge was a dish best served cold—in the form of a dodgy prawn sandwich.

The final play for the evening, Brushstrokes, was a delicious blend of drama, deception and manipulation—with the perfect sprinkling of comedy added for good measure.  As the play opened, three art models (played by Robbie Gwinnett, Marie Hickman and Michael Mullin) delivered a series of passionate monologues which revealed how the painter, Benedict St. John, had manipulated pivotal moments in their lives. Referring to one another initially by the title of their paintings, the “Girl Sipping Tea”, “Boy Juggling Oranges” and “Boy in Trunks” each took turns describing their relationship with Benedict and the subsequent events leading up to his death. 

In particular, Marie Hickman stood out as the stunning model, Isabel (“Girl Sipping Tea”), who fell for the Lothario painter and grieved over his death. Funny moments included manly poses from Michael Mullin and some skilled orange juggling from Robbie Gwinnett.

All six plays, which were expertly directed by Eltjo De Vries for Origins Theatre Company, were greeted with a warm reception by the audience.  

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