Last updated 15:56, Wednesday, 19 March 2008

IT’S not often I criticise the audience, but they were the weakest link in the chain at Keswick Theatre on Tuesday night!

Theatre by the Lake was staging Our Country’s Good – the ‘sequel’ to their February production, The Recruiting Officer. In the Timberlake Wertenbaker play, an Australian penal colony stages Farquhar’s The Recruiting Officer.

I thought it was a cracking performance – and a far better play than The Recruiting Officer. But the audience didn’t seem impressed. For the first half at least, the players struggled against this wet blanket of an audience and by the second half had, I think, won them over.

For a start this is a terrific tale. Based on the Thomas Keneally novel, it tells how the governor of the 18th century colony suggests the prisoners stage a play. Fellow officers are sceptical that the ‘scum’ could be capable of culture but of course, in the end, questions are rather raised about who are the truly civilised people of this new world.

The script is also sizzling:– Captain: “Why didn’t you say anything?”; Woman prisoner: “I didn’t think there was any point”; Captain: “What speaking the truth?”; Woman prisoner: “No, speaking”.

And it’s all in the hands of a very capable cast. Stefan Escreet’s directing is flawless and a simple set allows the play to shine.

The only let-down was the audience. At one point, one of the prisoners says: “People without imagination shouldn’t be allowed to go to the theatre”. I can only hope that Keswick introduce such a policy as soon as possible! AC

Our Country’s Good at Theatre by the Lake runs until Saturday, March 22. Box office: 017687 74411.