THE Broughton Players struggled with their production of Charles Dickens' classic Great Expectations.

Not surprising really as it is such a difficult play. Using a script adapted by Alice Chadwick from the hefty novel, the actors had to cope with a very dialogue-heavy play.

Several lines were forgotten and there were a few scrambled interchanges as the Players sought to remember and quickly deliver their words. The prompt did an excellent job and the actors did a professional job in smoothing over the cracks.

The best performance came from Lynn Fenton who portrayed the down-trodden maid Skiffens. Her cheeky interruptions were very funny and brought out Dickens' humour and sarcasm well. Janet Hindle was also very good as Mrs Joe Gargery.

The costumes were spot-on and scenery delightful. A lot of hard work had obviously gone into recreating the Victorian setting.

When the curtain rose for Act Two, there were gasps of awe from the audience and a spontaneous round of applause went up for the detailed set of Pip's new lodgings - very impressive.

Next at the Playhouse is Preston Drama Club's offering Death Trap, a thriller by Ira Levin, for tickets call 744771.

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