"Ladies Day" by Amanda Whittington.

East Bridgford and Bingham Drama Group.

East Bridgford Village Hall.

I thought that I'd seen this play before, but now I don't think I have. Even after looking through my documented reviews I could only find "Ladies Down Under" and "Ladies Unleashed", so maybe this viewing completes the trilogy of Amanda Whittington's brilliant "Ladies" series.

Life is one long, hard slog for the fish-filleting foursome Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda. But their fortunes are set to change when, to fulfill one of Pearl's wishes to celebrate her "retiring" from work, the quartet head to Ladies Day at the York races. Factory hairnets make way for fascinators as the four friends hit the races for what turns out to be an unforgettable day out.

Secrets are spilled with the champagne and friendships are tested to the limit. Yet as the day unfolds and tempers fray, their accumulator bet keeps quietly winning. If their luck, and their nerve holds, the ladies could hit the jackpot – and then some!

Amanda Whittington has always been a favourite playwright of mine, and I have had the pleasure of reviewing many of her plays over the years, and there's not been one that I haven't loved. That may be because of her infinite talent for writing multi-layered characters who you feel that you know after being in their company for a couple of hours. Amanda takes everyday women with everyday problems and shines a spotlight on them, and female friendship, making her characters so relatable.

Jan is a devoted single mother whose life revolves entirely around her teenage daughter, Clare. She is self-sacrificing and naturally cautious with money, Jan is terrified of empty-nest syndrome as Clare prepares to leave for university. Her emotional arc centers on learning to let go, recognizing her own self-worth independent of motherhood, and finally addressing her unexpressed romantic feelings for factory supervisor, Joe. 

Jan is played by Karen Peckover, who is a wonderfully gifted comedy actress. Jan has a few too many glasses of champagne, and Karen's "drunk" acting is so realistic, and so very funny. I wonder how much is method acting? The facial and physical aspects of her acting arsenal are well stocked and are on full show in this role and I loved every minute of her performance.

Shelley is the brash, loud, and outgoing wannabe who drinks heavily and dresses to get noticed. Desperate for fame and fortune, jumping at any chance to ambush TV cameras at the races. However, her flashy, "good time girl" persona serves as a confidence mask for deep insecurities and crippling credit card debt. Her journey is about stripping back the superficial layers and realizing her true value lies in her genuine friendships.

Played by Rebecca Cresswell, who reminded me so much of Catherine Tate, another of my favourite comedy actors. Every character in this play is perfectly written, and every actor in this play is perfectly cast. I love the pushy, sexy portrayal of Shelley by Rebecca, and I also loved how the character knew when to pull back from a certain situation, and also revealed her softer side with the other girls.

Pearl is the eldest and most composed of the group, acting as the "mother hen" and confidante. On the surface, Pearl appears to have a stable, traditional home life and is planning a well-earned early retirement. However, as the champagne flows, she reveals she is hiding a long hidden secret! Pearl represents the quiet sacrifices women make and the longing for romance or validation outside of domestic routines.

Pearl is played by one of the two new members to the group, Jane Murray. Obviously new to the group but I imagine not new to am dram and the stage because of the presence she projected on stage, as well as her "cool as a cucumber" acting ability. There's a lovely scene near the end which revolves around the secret that she has been hiding, that makes your heart go just a bit. It also leaves you undecided on what the scene means.

Linda is the youngest, quietest, and most innocent of the four. Shy, conservative, and easily exploited and often taken advantage of by others, including a demanding mother. She attends the races with a pure, obsessive passion for Tony Christie, using song titles to guide their betting accumulator. Linda’s arc is a coming-of-age story; through her interactions with the women and a local Irish jockey, she finds her voice, gains independence, and learns to prioritize her own needs.

Lauren Parnell is the other new member, but again I have a feeling that this stage role is not Lauren's first rodeo. I love the excited, almost innocent image we get of Linda from the start, and how that shyness soon evaporates when in the right company.  Her love of Tony Christie, and his music, also paves the way to the ladies' success on the racecourse. Jane and Lauren are fantastic am dram finds, and I hope that we see both on stage again very soon.

The male characters act as catalysts for the women’s realizations, offering romance, perspective, and a mirror to their insecurities, ultimately driving the emotional and comic climax of the race. In many productions all the male characters are played by one male actor, but in this production there are two.

Barry is played by Chris Henley, who turns up right at the end of the show. We discover about half way through what the connection is, but leaves us to make our own mind up, by one line from one of the girls, if what we are looking at is the real thing, or is the particular situation just a mirage!! 

Joe, Fred, Patrick, Jim and Kevin are all played by Rob Hurst, who is the only actor in this play that I have seen on stage before. We get to see so many different sides to The Postman's acting skills, including a seedy announcer, a drunken gambler, the boss who is over the four filleters and an Irish jockey. Patrick, the jockey is hilarious, and played for laughs by Rob. The irony of the character and the script for this jockey does not go unnoticed and raised howls of laughter from the packed Village Hall.

A more completely, perfectly cast, cast for a play is here on stage in East Bridgford.

Directed by Sally Baldock, this play is everything I could have wished for, and especially for an Amanda Whittington play which is so strong and beautifully written for women characters, as all of her plays are. The cast and Sally have done Amanda proud, as I am sure that Amanda's Dad, who was sat behind me would attest to. Sally has been assisted by Jane Cooper in the Director chair, and Jane is also responsible for the lead props in the show.

Choreographed by Karen Peckover, and I was not expecting choreography, but the four ladies treated us to some dance steps to the music of Tony Christie

Costumes are courtesy of Jackie Valentine.

Set design is by Julz Dawson. This is a clever set which uses a fold away fish factory piece, which unfolds into the backdrop for the York Ladies Day backdrop very simply, resulting in no awkward manoeuvres when the scene change arrives. Simplicity mixed with sensational is the key words for this area of production.

Lighting and Sound is by Jon Shepherd, Ian Weir and Julz Dawson. Ian being a new recruit to the Production team.

Stage Managed by Miha Lingu.

Caroline Aldrich is the show's Producer.

This is my first visit to East Bridgford and the first play that I've seen by East Bridgford and Bingham Drama Group; I hope that it won't be my last because there's a lot of talented people in this area.

"Ladies Day" is a sure bet for fun and enjoyment and can be seen at East Bridgford Village Hall until Saturday 13 June.