Peter Thompson writes:
What a swell party it was! There were star turns in the first half: Phil gave us Marlowe’s last case, in which the great detective was brought low by a seductive Natasha Staples. Many in the audience fell under her spell later on when she gave us a Monroesque I WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU. Even those of us who like it hot were loosening our collars. Non-PC songs by Silas were also in the bill and a sketch about a school teacher (Anthea) turning the tables on a whingeing mum (Caroline) who had to hand over herCartier watch, pearls and Porsche because her precocious daughter was such a CHATTERBOX. To close the first half Sophie “Thirty Dancing” Steel treated us to some delightful songs, with ukulele.
On came our President, Maurice Gran, to give us some seasonal thoughts and present this years awards, cups and trophies;
Best Play: Mary Conway’s JUDAS, with Mark Jagasia’s CLARION close behind and opening at the Arcola in April.
Best Comedy: Michael Barry’s BACK AGAIN (radio) with Napoleon Ryan’s DADDY’S GIRL in second place
Actor of the year: Silas Hawkins, just a few nominations more than Phil Philmar
Actress of the Year: Sevda Levent with Denise O’Leary the runner-up.
After that we braced ourselves for Tim Gambrell’s scratch pantomime of CINDERELLA in which Silas was everything like a dame, Phil did a whole gamut of Kenneth Williams voices and roles and Natasha and Sophie, as the Well Ugly Sisters did their best to upstage little Cinders with lines like “Party is totes amazeballs. Prince is well buff. Gonna buss that girl up big time”. Denise slapped her thighs loudly and often, the audience applauded hysterically and, after extensive socialising with the cast, we proceeded home in dribs and drabs and fairytale coaches to beat the stroke of midnight.
