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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

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