"Model Village" by New Perspectives Theatre Company.

Nonsuch Studios, Nottingham.

This is a new comedy play, written by Anita Sullivan and Directed by Angharad Jones, and assisted by Martha Kent, and kicks off New Perspectives 50th Anniversary.

It's the story of the miniature residents of a model village and their rebellion against an update to their village and landscape. The update is due to a reduction in visitors to the model village, thinking that an update will boost visitors. Will the "residents" give in to the update or will they languish in the halcyon days of their past? Well. the decision is completely out of their hands because it's the audience who chooses what happens at every show; therefore every show will be different to the last.

It shows how community spirit can work, but will the spirit be strong enough to change a future outcome? As I said, that decision is in the hands of the audience, so will the model village community be strong enough to sway you towards a new, updated version of the village, or will you want to keep the village as it is? The endings are in your hands!

This piece of theatre is quaint and quirky, and when I was younger, I loved to think that those little characters in model villages, somehow came to life, especially when everyone had gone away. This comedy is exactly what my imagination would have conjured up.

In charge of the model village are Holly and Bob, who bring in Cutler to "modernise" the 1936 village.

In charge of the village is the Mayor with Jill and Henry being just two of the "residents". But as each modern feature is introduced, the more the "villagers" start to rebel!

Abigail Pidgeon (Holly/Jill), Duane Hannibal (Bob/The Mayor) and Lee Rufford (Cutler/Henry) are wonderfully funny as they interchange between the roles.

The Set Design is by Gemma Caseley-Kirk. As you take your seats you get the chance to run your eyes over the two part set. On the lower level is the "model village", which is added to as the show progresses, and I love the details put into the houses, shops etc.

On the upper level you have the office where Holly, Bob and Cutler work, complete with desks, notice boards and a brilliant and colourful tracking of the railway track that surrounds the village. Love the station announcements that we hear as we go through the play.

Talking of which, the Sound Designer is Adam McCready. I don't know if the soundscape is all on one channel but if that is the case, the timing of these three actors are absolute perfection when there is reaction to the delivered speeches, especially from The Mayor. Nevertheless, the sound design is wonderful as it progresses the story. To open the production, it really made me think that we were about to see something akin to "The Hounds Of The Baskervilles". Later in the story, I realised the significance of these sounds!

Lighting Designer is Alexandra Stafford, and along with the sound effects, the lighting design vividly painted the required picture. I'm not going to say too much because the lighting visualises what is happening at specific parts of the story, and I don't want to give the game away.

For some reason I could envisage this story as a piece of animation. When Jill and Henry appeared, they also made me imagine the characters as cartoon characters. And I love the scenes with the village chases and Ginger, the horse.

Don't forget as well, you get to vote for one of two outcomes; to go back or to go forward. And then you get a song called "This Is Our Home" which, half way through, I was expecting to see the lights of mobile phones studding the audience like stars in the night sky, you know in the same way as the audience used to hold their lighters up at a concert, back in the day. Wonderfully anthemic.

This production is great fun, and I was so pleased to see that Nonsuch had to bring a few more chairs into the auditorium to accommodate a maximum audience. It's definitely one to watch!

This play is on tour almost everywhere from Grimsby down to Dorset and the tour dates can be found on New Perspectives website/Facebook/Twitter (X) and Instagram sites.