EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN

performed at Cumbernauld Town Hall, October 1975

JENNY ACTON	Carol Finlay	BERNARD ACTON	Harry Glass
LEONI PIMOSZ	Ena Simons	ROGER	William Simpson
BERYL	Hilda Gibson	BILL	Randal Phillips
LAURA	Betty Naismith	STEPHEN	Charles McKinnon
LOUISE	Rena Haldane	TOM	Jim Clark
JACK	Billy Young

"Bored suburban housewife wishes to be more active. Part-time work in the afternoons would be suitable."

That could have been the advert which Jenny Acton placed in the corner newsagent, although the audience at the Apex Players' production of "Everything in the Garden" never heard the actual wording. What they did see was the chain of events the postcard ad sparked off including the near break-up of Jenny's marriage, her sharing of a dark secret with her neighbours and a murder.

The scenario of a grim drama? No. "Everything in the Garden" was played strictly for laughs, a cleverly-constructed black comedy.

The pacing of the action was generally good, and producer Joe Simons must take credit for that. All three acts of the play are set in the sitting-room of the Actons' home in Bishopbriggs. When Jenny advertises for work, against her husband, Bernard's wishes, she is visited by a disturbing and persistent Leoni Pimosz (Ena Simons).

Jenny is shocked by Pimosz's suggestion that she should join her call-girl racket. But it later becomes apparent that Jenny has changed her mind when Bernard discovers large sums of money lying around the house.

Eventually he forces Jenny to tell him what she is up to. He tells her to get out. But Jenny ignores him and justifies her new "occupation", and Bernard begins to accept the situation.

Harry Glass, who plays Bernard, was probably the most consistently relaxed-looking player in the show, a very confident and talented actor. Carol Finlay, on the other hand, who plays Jenny, has some work to do. There was not a great variety of expression in her lines and she conveyed everything from a mild feeling of rebuke to great sorrow with the same pained expression. However, she did raise a good percentage of the laughs with her lines.

Ena Simons is obviously an experienced actress and her cultured Eat-European accent was almost faultless.

The play ends when the Actons decide to throw a party, coinciding with the arrival home from boarding school of her gawky son, Roger, splendidly played by William Simpson.

Beryl (Hilda Gibson) and Bill (Randal Phillips), Laura (Betty Naismith) and Stephen (Charles McKinnon) and Louise (Rena Haldane) and Tom (Jim Clark) are the guests.

The stage was getting a bit crowded by this time but all the players handled the cross talk very well. Betty Naismith and Charles McKinnon, familiar faces to fans of Apex, were particularly good.

The party is interrupted by the arrival of Pimosz with her ghastly news that she has been warned off by the police. Even more ghastly is the revelation that the other three women are "employees" of Pimosz too - with the knowledge of their husbands.

Then Jack, a "smoothie" neighbour, gatecrashes. He's a bright spark, and surveying the assembled company and the tense atmosphere he puts two and two together. It turns out he's too bright for his own good and when he tries to leave, violence erupts. Jack, excellently played by Billy Young, is battered to death with a celebratory bottle of "champers".

The partners in vice and murder accept their new predicament quite coolly and dispose of Jack's remains in the brussels sprouts patch. Almost happily - with their new bond - they settle down to talk business and decide to set up again in Lenzie, only one station up the line. So handy.

Credit for lighting and sound goes to Brian Gillespie and Nan and Robert Haldane also provided invaluable assistance.

The audience found a great deal to enjoy in this play and that's the best compliment for any company of players.