At some point in our lives we have all had our moment in the spotlight whether we were the last white daisy on the left in grade 00 or the sheep in the nativity play we’ve all trod the boards at some point and for many people that is enough.

For many people they are happy to have cut their chops on second assistant powder puff once removed; but for those of us who belong to the Franklin Players this was not enough. We wanted more and more we got.

For their 2013 ¾ show they decided to scuffle with Stoppard and his “Real Inspector Hound”. For those of us who are unfamiliar with Tom Stoppard you can find more information on him here although don’t take it too seriously as it IS Wikipedia.

But never mind about that, where were we? Ah yes Australia! Three times a week for three hours they poured their blood sweat and tears and shared a cup of cocoa (they are thespians and therefore can only afford 1 mug) as they rehearse the latest endeavor.

Some photos of the cast during rehearsals for “The Real Inspector Hound” by Tom Stoppard

Right so, “The Real Inspector Hound” was directed by two Franklin veterans Nikki Pantland and Dylan Moss and starred “Golden Oldies” that have burned brightly on the Franklin stage before as well as some rising stars that recently joined the constellation.

I was lucky enough to see it on the Saturday (the play was performed 13-15 September 2013) and I have to say that once again it was another great evening spent at the Roosevelt Park Rec Centre. I’m not the only one who enjoyed it; Chrysos Deneel saw the production not once but twice and had great things to say about it…

“The Real inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard, as played by the Franklin Players brought us another reason to love amateur theater. A complex and intriguing short play with many twists and turns that makes you want to ask, and at this stage I think we are entitled to ask …What was that?”

Solid performances from both cast and crew on the night made for an enjoyable evening with merry friends and or tolerated relatives. For the newcomers to Franklin it must have been a baptism by fire especially with the style of script and layers inside the play. All in all very well done.”

As a relative Newbie to the group I can only say that I can’t wait to get more involved and I am really looking forward to the end of year Panto, more on that later.

A very HUGE thanks for putting in so much time and effort for our viewing pleasure we would like to thank the cast & crew, and everybody involved in putting on this production.

Review by Emma Morris

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

With such a short rehearsal period (five weeks) and such a complex piece to direct, I firstly have to thank my incredible cast and crew, and my incredibly talented co-director, Nicky Pantland. The credit belongs to them entirely.

When I first considered plays to direct for this year, I was drawn to the works of Tom Stoppard, which range from farce (such as “The Real Inspector Hound”) to spy thrillers (such as “Hapgood”). Given such a short rehearsal period and run, I decided it was best to stick with something short which could be memorised and performed in a little over a month. “The Real Inspector Hound” immediately jumped to the front of the queue.

I had not previously come across this work, and rushed to the internet to find background material. I was pleased to find a complete radio drama recording by the BBC online, and have made extensive use of this in framing the play, although I have not stuck to their style entirely!

Dylan Moss

THE CAST

Moon – Taryn Brehm
Birdboot – Sean Nieuwoudt
Mrs Drudge – Ana Holmes
Simon – Steven Chiaberta
Felicity – Kaylee Holmes
Cynthia – Palesa Makhetha
Magnus – Mervin Lowe
Hound – Nkopane Makhetha
The corpse – Wendy Brehm

BACKSTAGE AND FRONT-OF-HOUSE CREW

Director – Dylan Moss
Co-Director: Nicky Pantland
Stage Manager: Nj Hourquebie
Front of House Management: Emma Morris
Lighting: Robert Cunningham
Sound: Chris Esterhuyse
Set Design: Chrysos Daneel
Decor and Props Design: Carri Lyons
Ticket Sales: Wendy Brehm