HAODS - For the best entertainment in live theatre, together with top quality drama - amdram at its best, Henley Operatic & Dramatic Society has it all. Performing at the Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames, NODA award winning HAODS musicals and plays are renowned for excellence.

The Graduate - A Revue - Kenton Theatre 17th - 21st March 2009

The following review was written by Julie Huntington as an independent revue of one of The Henley Player's recent productions. The Henley Players have a number of HAODS members and we believe this article will be interesting to all our members...

"...Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to speak with you again..." The haunting music of Simon and Garfunkel instantly transports us back to those heady days of the 60's when women burned their bras, thousands marched against nuclear power and the baby boomers were rebelling against the world with flowers in their hair and weed in their mouths offering free love to anyone who asked for it. After the austere years of the war, the world was in revolt.

Then came The Graduate.

This 1967 iconic film starring Ann Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman, just like the petulant child trying to break away from his parents' influence, also flew in the face of convention in an attempt to shock audiences into taking notice. And shock it most certainly did. Ranked the 7th greatest film of all time* , it is hard to believe that this enduring film is 42 years old, yet the subject matter is probably still just as controversial even in these liberal times, the younger man seducing a woman old enough to be his mother. (Click read more to read on...)

In 2000, the long awaited debut of a stage adaptation of the film was warmly received by the critics and went on to be a hit both in London and New York. It was also a great hit with Henley audiences at the Kenton Theatre when The Henley Players bravely took on this well loved classic. The black and white set was clean and fresh and leant itself easily to swift transformations from Benjamin´s bedroom, to the hotel room to the dump that he found himself living in when mooning for Elaine in Berkley - although I would have liked to have seen a change of the black silk pillowcases as well as the bedspread! The opening pace was a little slow, but this swiftly picked up, especially when Mrs Robinson, abley played by Karen DuPlesis with a faultless accent, revealed all (and I mean ALL) in the famous "....do you find me attractive, Benjamin?" scene. Hats and everything else off to this actress for this scene, which was very well executed if not just a little over the top, totally horrifying Benjamin Braddock, played by Terry Wright. Once again, here was an actor who´s accent was perfect throughout, but with body language thrown in, from the petulant son to the cock-sure, arrogant young man in the strip club.

The evening was a roller coaster of anticipation as each aspect of this hilarious, yet touching play unfolded. I loved the sparky scenes between Elaine (Angharad Jones) and Benjamin. All the supporting cast were strong from Benjamin´s parents (Kathy Bridekirk and Darrel Poulos) - his mum really was on another planet, the betrayed Mr Robinson (Mike Rowbottom) down to the delightful interplay between the two desk clerks at the hotel and the barman with a couple of drunks in the strip club. Another moment that made the audience sit up was Daisy O¨Halloran in her red basque and snake hips as the stripper! How much could one audience take in a night?

The costumes were bright and lively and really in keeping with the characters. I was especially impressed with Elaine´s "Berkley University" sweat shirt. All in all it was a superb evening of entertainment and director David Parsonson should be congratulated on a fine show. Another triumph for the Henley Players.

So - here´s to you, Mrs Robinson! - Well done!

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