Finished!

All over. I thought I'd wait a few days before writing about the rest of the run - gain a little persepective.

Every show was received very warmly and appreciatively by the audience. Some were kind enough to say that it was the best show they've seen Ottershaw Players do. I'm not sure if that's justified (I am more proud of our 2006 production of Habeas Corpus, personally) but it's a nice comment to receive.

The reception was most gratifying. Not least because, even into production week, I wasn't 100% sure whether we had an entertaining production on our hands. I knew that the cast were perfect in their parts and that the backstage crew were giving their all to make the show a success, but I had concerns that the pace and flow of the play would be too slow and langorous.

Luckily, my fears were groundless. Audience members told me that they were gripped throughout. At the interval (one hour 10 mins into the play) my wife told me that she thought it had only been half-an-hour since the play started. Phew!

[I'm really chuffed that a member of our audience - a seasoned theatre-goer - went to see the show in the professional theatre next door on the next night. Despite being exactly the same length, the pro show was said to be overly long and boring. I won't mention the name of the show, or its stars, but that story backs up my long-held contention that there's no reason why amateur theatre should not as professional and entertaining as our paid counterparts.]

I'll be having a post-production meeting in a week or two. More updates then.

And if anyone reading this has seen (or would like to write) a review of the show, I'd be delighted to publish it (or a copy, or link) here.