Report by Tryst ASM Hugh Jarse

Additional Reporting by Lou Swires

Tryst’s Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me 2009 UK tour took it from East Kilbride to Falkirk where Jim, Brian and Alan performed in the town’s Springtime Festival.

The large Town Hall space does not really lend itself to the intimate setting the play requires but with some skilful lighting and reducing the width and depth of the stage, the audience willingly suspended its disbelief and understood we were indeed in a cramped Beirut cellar. The club entered the play in the Eastern Division full-length festival and was delighted to welcome adjudicator Ron Nicol accompanied by the dapper Stephen Lambert.

Audience reaction afterwards was very encouraging and at the private adjudication, Ron was complimentary. At least we think he was: what else could "Good wasn't the word", "I'm speechless" and "You've done it again" mean?

Heartened by the response, cast and crew got up the following morning at 0330 to head for the airport for the following night’s performance in Felixstowe. There are so many highlights of this flying visit, and so little space to report them, but the list, bizarrely, would have to include transvestites, Essex Girls, top of the range Jaguars, Romanian waitresses and boosting the profits of Bells whisky.

Adjudicator Mike Kaiser was even-handed, praising some outstanding work but critical of other things in our pared-down, travelling production. Come the final night, he awarded Brian Paterson the FADOS Cup for Best Actor, highlighting BP’s wonderful graveyard monologue which was a “coup de theatre”, and he also gave the Ray Jacobs Memorial Trophy for Highest Marks for Team Acting to Tryst for their, well, acting.

It was our first time at the Felixstowe Festival and already we’re thinking about next year...and what will work out of two suitcases. Maybe not The Steamie, then.

Next stop on the Tour – Welwyn Garden City....which means Luton Airport, backward-facing taxis and retail therapy at John Lewis. Tristan Fabriani will report on this debacle.