I always enjoy a visit to Hylands House for an evening’s entertainment.
It is a beautiful setting for a show. For a Bond themed evening
celebrating 50 years of films, with a Fun Casino laid on for the interval,
it couldn’t be better.
... I’ve seen the Cameo Players twice before and I’ve been impressed
with the professionalism they bring to their projects. This evening was
no exception it was full of facts about Ian Fleming the creator and the
Bond movies. I can’t imagine how much time was spent in the research
for this show.
It is always difficult to single out a specific performer, as the whole only
works if everyone is up to scratch, and although the evening was not
word perfect, the performances were first class.. The Cameos have (a not
so) secret weapon in Robert Bastian and as the various Bond Villains
(loved Blofeld and especially the toy cat); he was perfectly over the top.
Lindsay Lloyd (M) deserves a mention for allowing us to hear her
wonderful impression of Margaret Thatcher, so perfect, so funny. A
special mention for Cyril Bagshaw as Q, who captured the essence of
that portrayal spot on, and Q was always an essential part of the movies
for me. Vicky Tropman and Leanne Johnson played Miss Moneypenny
and Diana: (The Gorgeous Bond Girl). The entertainment is narrated by
all the players, with the narrator breaking into character as and when
necessary.
Vicky was perfect as Moneypenny and Leanne, just stunning on all
counts! Kenton Church, had the difficult role of James Bond, and was
literally a man for all seasons, a role he performed with some aplomb.
The evening managed to race through all the films and all the Bond
actors, capturing many of the memorable moments from the films, while
providing information on Ian Fleming and his life in the Secret Service
and how that shaped the Bond genre. The evening ended on a play-let,
“You Only Sneeze Twice”, very funny and full of awful puns based on
the Bond Film titles. Written by Kate Knight, very clever stuff. I must
also mention the Sound Man (Curtiss Allen) for providing the requisite
bangs, car noises and music, on que (no pun intended).
Great evening, great fun and great entertainment, the only shame was the
Cameos deserved a much bigger audience, maybe it was timing being
Jubilee Week, but it was a shame. P.S. Great Ice Cream, too!
Geoff McLaughlin
