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                               Theatre Review







           The Haunting

           Directed by Jane Tonge




























                                                                                               Review: Steve Griffiths
                                                                                                 Photos: Colin Green



          The Curtain Theatre has been going for the past 90 years   commercial theatre. It felt cold, as all old Yorkshire
          - even Hitler was unable to dim the spirit of the players   manors should, and when the special effects produced
          -  and continues to put on theatrical performances every   a ghostly presence, I felt a frisson go up my spine.
          few weeks for a dedicated audience.
                                                               In the front of house, the volunteers provide a warmth
          1,200 people are on their mailing list, and as the theatre   and professionalism that many theatres could learn from.
          does 10 shows for each play, many people get to see a
          show. The producions are cast from a core of 30      Director of the play, Jane Tonge, should be proud of the
          volunteers plus people from local surrounding areas.   performances she brought from her two main actors.

          With the latest play, The Haunting, you can see why.   The additional ‘half actor’? A ghostly presence brought
          Adapted from short stories by Charles Dickens the    thrillingly to life for a brief but startling moment.
          play allows the amateur actors to show their worth.
                                                               In the unlikely setting of the curry capital of Rochdale,
          Josh Potts, as a young man coming to a bleak manor   the Curtain Theatre is a beacon of voluntary effort
          house in Yorkshire to value a dead man’s library, is   and magic.
          particularly good. How someone who does a serious
           job, as a teacher I was told, has the mental ability to
          learn two hours’ worth of lines and also act well is
          nothing short of miraculous.                                       Forthcoming productions


          The other major actor is also the overall director and he   Di and Viv and Rose     Hamlet
          had a cold to cope with. Amazing.                             April 2019           June 2019

          Normally, any reference to the stage setting means that      www.curtaintheatrerochdale.co.uk
          the play was limited. Not in this case. The set, again
          produced by amateurs, could have graced any



          REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2019                       14                                                                                                                    15                      REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2019
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