Review by Doreen Friend

Feathered fans take best seats for Cornish clifftop drama.

Take an open air stage with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop.

Add a biting wind and mix gently with a pair of stage struck pigeons, a smattering of seagulls and a helicopter providing unwanted background noise.

Fill the air with the smell of Cornish pasties, then add a group of Walthamstow thespians. Allow them to act for seven performances and the result is a superbly enjoyable show.

The dream of performing in a theatre with an audience of thousands came true when Wadham Players producer Michael Michael took the company's production of 'An Italian Straw Hat' to the prestigious Minack Theatre in Cornwall.

The Minack - a stone's throw from Land's End, built high on the cliffs at Porthcurno - was planned, built and financed by Rowena Cade. She began the project in 1931 and was involved until her death in 1983.

The 320 mile road from Walthamstow to the Minack is one Mr Michael was keen to travel. Amateur dramatic groups must be of a very high standard before they are invited to put on a production.

Once there, the task of persuading the cast of 27, plus stage crew and helpers, to trek down from the dizzy heights of the cliff top to dressing rooms built into the face of the rock was nothing compared with the problems of getting a grand piano, a desk, two hat stands and a metal lamppost onto the stage.

Professional actors don't have to lug scenery and costumes on and off stage or up and down from the theatre.

But for enthusiastic amateurs. the distance down from the car park to the stage is about a quarter of a mile. By the end of the week, all the Wadham Players were exhausted but as agile as mountain goats.

Sharing a love scene with a pigeon isn't quite what male lead Alisdair Low expected but the bird was more interested in the petals from actress Elaine Elliott's flower than him.

Mr Michael was assisted by seagulls who supervised almost every step of the production, while a second pigeon read through the script with the prompt!

The English weather was also on form and females in the cast alternatively sweltered and shivered in off-the-shoulder gowns.

High winds blew heavy scenery around while actor Dave Reed sat on stage with his feet in a Mustard bath.

But, though it rained before each matinee, by 3pm the sun blazed down.

Audiences at Wadhams' base at Forest Community Centre, Walthamstow, are generally enthusiastic and friendly.

Audiences at the Minack, however, are generally hungry. Having made the breathtaking, head-spinning, climb down the hand-crafted stone terraces to grass-covered granite seats they are bound to need some refreshment.

The smell of Cornish pasties wafted across the 750-seat auditorium as seasoned theatregoers delved into their picnic hampers and tucked in to some tasty traditional fare.

Stage manager Dave Housden said: "Two vital lessons have been learned here this week - if we come back again, we will bring less scenery and eat fewer pasties and cream teas."

A total of more than 2,700 people watched the performances during the week and judging by the laughter, cheers, whistles and enthusiastic clapping they enjoyed what they saw.

Mr Michael commented: "This was a completely new experience for us all. Everything went well and I am really proud of everyone here and the effort they put in. It was brilliant and we can't wait to come back."