Tour.

AMATEUR GIRL
by Amanda Whittington.

Tour to 15 March 2014.
Runs 1hr 20min No interval.
Review: Alan Geary 4 February.

Strengths outweigh weaknesses in this typical piece from Amanda Whittington.
At the start of this play, a one-hander helped along by a couple of disembodied voices, single woman Julie is a nurse in some kind of care home. By the end, after a lot of ups and downs, mostly downs, she’s working at the fag end of the, so-called, sex industry.

Like most of Amanda Whittington’s work, this is about the woman in an essentially male-dominated society, and what happens when the woman attempts in some way or other to take matters into her own hands.

The strengths of the piece lie in Lucy Speed’s acting, which is extraordinarily realistic; in Whittington’s down to earth and believable dialogue; and in the beautifully designed and dressed bed-sitter set – there’s an increasingly well-used wine glass on the side table throughout.

The weaknesses are few but important. Julie seems too ill-educated and lacking in basic savvy to be a qualified nurse. And she’s oddly naïve about the real motivation of small-time pornographer Gary – either that or she simply enjoys the sex, in which case she brings her misfortunes on herself.

An hour and twenty-minute long studio production, this is ideally suited to the upstairs Neville Room at Nottingham Playhouse, where it was staged.

Julie: Lucy Speed.

Director: Kate Chapman.
Designer: Eleanor Field.
Lighting: Alexandra Stafford.
Sound: Adam P McCready.

Tour:
3-8 Feb 6pm Nottingham Playhouse (Neville Room) 0115 941 9419 www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
11-12 Feb 7.45pm Cast Doncaster 01302 303959 www.castindoncaster.
13 Feb 8pm The Firestation Windsor 01753 866 865 www.firestationartscentre.com
14 Feb 8pm Lincoln Drill Hall 01522 873894 www.lincolndrillhall.com
17-21 Feb 8pm St James Theatre (Studio) London 0844 264 2140 www.stjamestheatre.co.uk
25 Feb 7.45pm The Castle Wellingborough (Studio) 01933 270007 www.thecastle.org.uk
26-27 Feb 8pm The Marlowe (Studio) Canterbury 01227 787787 www.marlowetheatre.com
28 Feb 7.30pm The Garage Norwich 01603 598646 www.thegarage.org.uk
5-6 March 9pm Mercury Theatre (Studio) Colchester 01206 573948 www.mercurytheatre.co.uk
7-8 March 7.30pm Guildhall Theatre Derby 01332 255800 www.derbylive.co.uk
11-12 March 7.45pm Everyman Theatre (Studio) Cheltenham 01242 572573 www.everymantheatre.org.uk
13 March 7.45pm Stephen Joseph Theatre (McCarthy auditorium) Scarborough 01723 370541 www.sjt.uk.com
14-15 March 7.30pm Create Mansfield 01623 413633 www.createtheatre.co.uk

2014-02-08 02:55:31