Theatre Reviews by Phyl Romeril for Local Guardian

1066 And All That.
Wadham Players and Waltham Forest Youth Theatre, The Playhouse Studio, Harlow.

A play which aimed to put the fun back into learning about history began with a typical family showing little interest in dusty museum exhibits until the sleepy father was transported back in time.

First up was Julius Caessar (Mark Jones in the first of an array of excellently played roles), followed by an angelic tune from St Patrick, St Pancras and St Ives (Keith Dye, Bob Gray and Chris Millington).

Millington was excellent fun throughout the show, playing each of his roles with an enthusiast glee which suggested real delight in performing.

He took the part of Henry VIII while his six wives played a dark game of musical chairs, the loser heading off to the divorce court or a much grimmer fate in one of the most successful of the scenes of a largely enjoyable show.

A few section of history did not fare so well on stage and the show seemed to lose some of its pace in the second half, although one of the highlights was Simon Billig as a comic policeman at Guy Fawkes' trial.

June Gray made a reasonable compere throughout, despite some of her malapropisms falling flat for those whose grasp of history was rusty.

The whistlestop tour did little to expand out knowledge - not that a similar shortcoming has been any hindrance to the Reduced Shakespeare Company - but was very funny with some great costumes, especially for the charming Douglas Gray as Robert the Bruce's spider friend.