"Hoovering On The Edge" by Hilary Spiers.

Burton Joyce Players

Burton Joyce Village Hall

Seven British ladies decide to take an educational writing course in Spain under the tutelage of Gareth, who finds these, all bar one middle aged women, more than a handful.

There's Rita, who doesn't mince her words, and not that bothered as to who she takes down in her path, played by Kathy Matthews.

Gwen, who is more rational with quiet sensitivity, played by Avril McCormick.

Moira is a prim and proper character, played by Deborah Craddock. There's a lovely transformation with Moira, and I will freely admit that she is my favourite character due to what evolves throughout the play.

Honor is Moira's flamboyant counterpoint, played by Katy Woolley. She's a woman's woman, always up for a glass or three of vino.

Sue is worldly wise and on the lookout for the next "big thing" in TV, we discover in Act Two and played by Jane Murray.

Chris, subdued, but only to a point, and introspective is played by Keri Kirk.

Clare is a young and pretty earth mother, into yoga, meditation and the arts and often distracted to a point. Clare is played by Sally Panter.

Gareth, played by Ben Bradley, is shrouding the truth from the women regarding his qualifications, which is soon discovered. He is always losing control over the group of women, causing great frustration for him. An explosive final scene for Gareth which took the audience by surprise.

This is a gorgeous, warm story which in a way reminded me ever so slightly of "The Calendar Girls". There are moments where you're laughing along with some of the girls and then the next, you feel slightly embarrassed about why you were laughing.

If you don't understand the play's title, it's explained in Act two and you get a feeling of the penny dropping, but you'll have to see the play to find out the meaning.

Directed by Patrick McDonough, he has created a production which flows so naturally that it's like being a fly on the wall, earwigging on a group of women as they discuss, not only what they want out of the course they are on, but out of life. All of the character's interjections and interruptions are timed to perfection, again creating an incredibly natural feel about the conversation flow.

Set Design is by Chris Mercer and Marilyn Carr. You get the feel of a Spanish balcony, overlooking the warm sea; the plain walls, the balcony, the decorative lights and the vibrant flowers, and you can feel that warmth from the stage. A wonderful design and construction.

Sound Design is by Steve Armstrong and the combined Lighting Design by Jenny Cowan really create that humid Spanish atmosphere.

What makes this play so lovely for me is the naturalness of the performances; it's not like you're watching a play, it's like a feeling of being in on a secret. It's such an easy watch, but with moments that are anything like easy. And that could be the reason why for the second night, the Village Hall was full of people appreciating their local talent.

"Hoovering On The Edge" is at Burton Joyce Village Hall until Saturday 29 April.