Stringer’s Last Stand

Wythall Dramatic Society made a change from their usual situation comedies last week when they presented “Stringers Last Stand” by Stan Barstow and Alfred Bradley.

Billed as a "play for an adult audience” it had only a thin plot with success depending on the slick deliverance of dialogue and the members of the cast excelled themselves at bring out all the humour, pathos and drama of the work.

Set in the living-room of a working class-class Yorkshire family, the action revolved around the tensions which built up among the Stringers when the head of the household as found to be having an affair.

Acting honours were almost equally divided between the leading players. Gerry Solomon gave his usual faultless performance as the philandering Luther Stringer while Sybil Parr was Gladys who, while deploring his behaviour was nevertheless reluctant to bring matters to a head by accusing him of his misdemeanours

A newcomer to the society, Annie Wilton-Jones gave an excellent portrayal of daughter Bessie Stringer who with her married sister Marjorie, convincingly played by Estelle Shutkever, set about "bringing the old man to book."

Christine Cruxton as Carol Stinger gave a delightful air of freshness to her role as a young college student.

Supporting "the family" was John Hatton as Bob Carter who started out as the fiancé of one daughter and ended up attached to another, while Val Archer as Mr Stringer’s “lady friend” and Gerry Smith as his factory mate had shorter roles but presented them with confidence and verve.

The play was a compelling mixture of laughter and sadness and its theme was treated with such obvious understanding by the cast that ever its sprinkling of “strong language” gave no offence to an audience which could not fail to appreciate the skilled technique of the artists.

The production was yet another in a long line of successes scored by the society which is now in its 18th season.

Direction was by Mike Beamish with stage management by Bob Aldridge assisted by Andrew Castle, Jack Parramore, Phil Lett and Pamela Davey.

P.K.S., Local Newspaper 1976