Review: Motherland at Tiverton Community Arts Centre, 22 February

This play was well worth the drive from Plymouth! 

Stage-Wright Productions backed a winner in Suze Gardner's Motherland.  A double first:  new company and new play.

The script was amusing and informative, and portrayed the main character to perfection.  We all know of Marie Stopes, but few know of her controversial and pioneering birth control clinics had a dual purpose:  perporting to help the poorest of women limit the number of offspring, but equally furthering Stopes' rather more sinister involvement in eugenics.  The script brought to light her  dodgy personal contacts with seedy Dirk Vanderhorst, played Andrew Dean,  and with  none other than Herr Hitler himself, who also favoured the idea of limiting the breeding of the less fortunate classes.

Casting was sound, with particular mention of Nurse Cooper, Marnie Pyne, and the indomitable Mrs Hems, Jan Hookway, who stole the laughs!  The play was well directed by Wendy Carter, who used the lighting expertise of Ramie Ransom to best advantage, and enhanced the play with apt music to punctuate scene shifts.  Bravo to Suze Gardner.  Let's hope this heralds the start of a great new director/writer partnership. 

Keep an eye on Stage-Wright Productions' website www.stage-wright-productions.co.uk for "Motherland"  venue details in the area over the next couple of months... not forgetting Exeter Festival in June.