Dirty Dusting - NODA Review

On a very warm night at Turnpike Gallery, Turnpike Community Theatre supply the fans - paper and electric – in an attempt to keep us comfortable and sit down for Dirty Dusting by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood. I must say hats off to the cast and crew for working through that heat.

The set was an office in a building block. Walking in to the theatre the setting was obvious: desks pushed together and large office chairs. Phones and various office paraphernalia on the desk. The room was painted two-tone: the top half lemon and the bottom green with a green door centre stage. Stage Left was coffee making facilities, microwave and a cupboard that housed the Henry Hoover. Also stacked chairs and a slippy floor sign. On the back wall Stage Right was a filing cabinet - on top was files and a cheese plant. Around the set were full paper bins and attention to detail in the light switches, sockets and even some old Christmas tinsel dangling from the lights Centre Stage. The walls were full of calendars, pictures, notices and even a picture of Scooby Doo, a clue to a later reference (very clever). Various props were used including food, lipstick and newspapers to mention a few. Set Design and Construction Richard Pilkington. Properties Anita Grace and Cast. Stage Manager Kate Sweeney.  Lighting and sound all added to the piece. Lead Technician Stuart Hill. Costumes were all fitting with various changes with the workers also having lanyards with their names on. The ending with the glittery tabards and the character Dave coming on in glittery shorts and bow tie worked well.

Neil Gredecki was the Director and in his programme notes talks about seeing the production in the early 2000s and having a fun-filled night. He says he has absolute confidence we will laugh and laugh we did. The characters are well defined and interact well together. The story gently built up to create some outright roars of laughter. The stage was used well and I like the fact the desks were bunched in the middle so as not to create a dead space. It’s not a play known for too much movement but Neil created as much as he could within the confines of the play and it worked. The character of Dave who pops in and out used the stage well and played both sides.

A feel-good comedy about women of a certain age and all that comes with feeling invisible and over-looked. In the era of Act Your Age campaign it’s great to see a play for women around this age. A chance answering of a phone call sets them on a course they could never have imagined with innuendos abound and the women come out on top despite the bullying and put-downs of Dave played by Nicholas Worthington. The character of Dave stands for all those people who underestimate women of a certain age. Nicholas plays Dave the one-trick pony whose little life of being scared of his mum and strange liking of Scooby Doo and it all come to light in one hilarious moment involving a Henry Hoover - you needed to be there. Nicholas’ character was just disliked enough to bring the comedy out and the audience to enjoy his demise.

Jeannette Wilkinson plays Gladys, the reluctant one of the three to get involved in the telephone sex line business - after her initial shock she actually really enjoys it and it perks up her sex life with her husband even if it does lead him to being hospitalised. This play has the majority of three women taking most of the dialogue and it’s a mammoth ask and task. I did feel Jeannette had a few wobbles with lines on occasions but she manged to get herself out of it and that’s someone who knows the script.  Her character worked well with the other two and it’s a great revelation when she lets herself go and actually enjoys it as the character Gladys. Quite empowering.

Hannah Boardman takes on the role of the bossy Olive who at every opportunity will let you know she was a girl guide and she even reveals her misdemeanours while on guide camp. Olive with her glasses and too much blue eye shadow certainly had a lot to say even if you didn’t want to hear it. Hannah gave us a touch of Mrs Bucket and I really like how she delivered her line about Gladys talking about sensible knickers on the phone. Her loveless marriage and her amour - we get to know there is more to Olive than meets the eye.

Andrea Peters takes on the role of Elsie. Elsie’s bark is worse than her bite and she is up for anything and anyone. The more energetic of the three she is game for anything although it’s a slight shock when her grandson gets involved!. Andrea gave us a strong character with energy and delivered some great lines, always to do with death though! Out of the three, Andreas character probably had the most movement and she did this naturally and with ease. Always having a laugh and enjoying life she takes nothing seriously that is until she joins the “Telephone Belles” Andrea, Hannah and Jeanette worked well together and you got a sense of how the friendship worked - it was believable and natural. I have to say in this unexpected heat you kept the pace going and then to do a song at the end – Well, Hey Lolly Lolly!

Thank you for the invite, hospitality, water and fans. Thank you from my guest Chris and I.

Liz Hume-Dawson

District 5 Rep

26th June 2026

TBC