Bob And Doris Are Not Afraid by Bench Theatre at The Spring Arts Centre, Havant: 'Creativity like this deserves support' | Review

Using the clever device of an insurance company’s too-good-to-be-true household cover, taken out by our eponymous heroes, Penrose explores the effects the various results of global warming may – and probably will – have on the people of the world.

Director Vin Adams has rightly adopted a physical-theatre approach to the piece. The cast not only play the characters they, more often than not, play the furniture, the weather, the bunny wallpaper and – on one occasion - a helicopter. From time to time the hard-working cast is not quite precise enough, not quite slick enough to be completely effective – but their hearts are in it and the opening-night audience clearly loved it.

Performance-wise, Sarah Ash as insurance-company employee Nuala Brand leads the field. Her over-the-top performance is beautifully judged and, despite that over-the-topness, I’d bet that most of us have worked with a Nuala over the years. Ash manages a very clever balancing-act of unreality and truth.

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David Penrose and Janette Evans as Bob and Doris work beautifully. Penrose is the master of the bemused stare; Evans is wonderfully naïve. Both are a joy and the pained anticipation of each disaster that strikes them makes you love them all the more. If the ending has a Monty Python over-the-topness that requires a complete suspension of belief – what the hell? Suspend that belief; go for the ride. It’s a joy.

The first half of the evening, before the play began, involved a series of readings, prose and poetry, by Pens Of The Earth, a group of local writers who are as concerned as any of us about the ruin of the planet. These pieces are well-written, thoughtful, funny and insightful.

Creativity like this deserves support. Go see.

Performances run on Friday and Saturday, April 21-22 at 7.30pm with a 2.30pm matinee on Saturday, and 7.30pm from Wednesday to Saturday April 26-29. Tickets are £12, £10 concessions. Go to thespring.co.uk.