Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Simple, straight forward and full of fun ... Manama Theatre's latest offering, Ladies' Day, the popular Amanda Whittington play, is a heart-warming and enjoyable production that cannot fail to bring forth a smile.
Directed by husband and wife team Rory Adamson and Marina Tadayon and produced by Carrie Bell, it is a contemporary story of four friends - hard working women who lead ordinary lives and secretly nurse big and bold dreams.
The fish-filleting foursome - practical Pearl played by Anne Kooheji, homely Jan played by Esther Ghuloom, raunchy Shelly played by Julia Doorne and the meek Linda played by Hannah Lynch are at different stages of their lives.
Bored of their daily routine they decide to take the plunge and do something they have never done before and head to the races at Royal Ascot.
The audience is led through the various dilemmas and emotions of four women who encounter different situations whlie juggling ogling at the rich, looking smart, being clever and trying their luck. Their lines are simple, situations are genuine and the settings are real.
There is romance, anger, unexpected twists and secret revelations ... all the right ingredients to ensure the audience stays alert throughout the performance. Full of crisp dialogues and witty expressions the ladies deliberate on real issues that many women will connect with.
Popular scores including those by Madonna and Abba effectively echo the emotions expertly expressed by the actors throughout the play.
While the women dominate the show, important contributions are made by the male actors - Iain Rawlinson, Paul Wyatt, Andy McAlpine, Mike Eddison, Jonathan Matchett and Guy Parker.
The show, staged at the British Club, opened last night and there are only a handful of tickets available for tomorrow evening. Its run ends on Friday and the capacity audiences will not be disappointed.
In my opinion, the star of the show was Hannah, a fabulous take on a weak woman who finds a voice ... and steals a heart.
Review by Anasuya Kesavan
and photographs courtesy of jacquelinekentphotography.com
