Trivial Pursuits - A comedy by Frank Vickery.
11th-15th April 2006 at The Priory Theatre, Tynemouth.
Directed by Chris Johnson.
A summer evening barbecue on a patio is the setting for a meeting of The Amateur Theatrical Society. Next seasons' play is being announced, but due to the credit crunch the society's director Nick has to wrestle with some difficult choices in financing and casting the production. So he invites a few actors and some of the committee to a summer barbecue at his home to announce his decision.
Everyone is waiting to hear what Nick has chosen for the next production, and who will play the coveted female lead.. As the evening progresses, and the alcohol flows Nick ends up promising a different show and the starring roles to four different people from previous productions. Meanwhile the party goes into the wee small hours revealing a blackmail plot, a possible affair, an attempted suicide and a twist at the end that will surprise you all. The plot involves various members of the group conniving to have their choice of musical selected for the next production.
As the evening progresses, each character's foibles and talents are revealed and the complex relationships between players emerge, as moments of pure slapstick and farce alternate with ones full of real drama and pathos. Not every hitch is resolved, but at the end of this exploration the group is intact and its members ready for another season of testing the magic and artifice that is theatre.
If you've ever been involved with a play or just simply love the theatre, this show is for you!