An evening of drama and comedy was available for all with the CAMP (Completely Amateur Menheniot Players) The-atre company's Autumn production recently.

Playing to a packed house on each night, the first production, 'The Zoo Story' by Edward Albee, demanded much from both the audience and the two performers. Albee, best known by most for the screen adaptation of 'Who's afraid of Virginia Woolfe?' offered in this play an intense dialogue between two New York characters, which started with them disputing positions on a park bench. It soon became apparent that the dominant character, played powerfully by Steve Jefferies, is either mad or has some obscure goal towards which he is weaving a torturous path. In the process the innocent but effete passer-by is manipulated mercilessly. Jake Lowendahl was extremely convincing as the sorely tried, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly book publisher.

Aspects of the two widely differing personalities were probed in a fascinating and entertaining interplay of action and reaction. The conclusion was as surprising as it was shocking and kept the audience guessing and attentive up to the final moment.

This was the first time Pete Bowers had directed and hopefully more of his work will be seen again.

The audience came back to the second half refreshed from the well organised bar service and in the mood for fun. The Resident Company performed Pete Shaffer's 'Black Comedy' which provided this in ample measure. The action commenced with the audience and actors in the dark for the first part of the dialogue, which takes place in the lead characters flat. The excellent programme notes paint a picture of a playwright accomplished in both serious and comedy genre. Shaffer also became Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford in 1994.

The farce was lively and entertaining - Brindsley Miller, a struggling but ambitious and scheming sculptor has his eye on advancement through marriage to Carol the daughter of Colonel Melkett and also through the sale of his latest masterpiece to a wealthy art collector, George Bamberger.

When the electricity fails, the stage lighting is restored and by this device light and dark is reversed to excellent and hilarious effect for the next hour or so. Miss-identification, a common starting point for a farce, is facilitated by the 'darkness' and so the situation descends into glorious muddle.

Richard Crocker portrayed to perfection the desperation of a man seeing his life's ambitions slipping from his grasp and must be commended for not injuring either himself or anyone else during the various calamities that follow. Emma Outram as Carol had the voice and mannerisms of the stereotypical upper class bimbo off to a 'T'. Phil Joyce camps up and is very funny playing the part of an outraged friend betrayed, as is Victoria Rogers when she turns up as Clea, the longstanding girlfriend. Kelly Malric-Smith was in really excellent form as the tee-total Miss Furnival. Pete Bowers, Keith Thompson and Nick Scantlebury play substantial supporting roles sympathetically and made the play work as a balanced whole. There were no serious weak points in the play, produced by Steve Jefferies, and as usual the technical aspects were flawless.

The plays chosen for the performance proved to be an excellent choice and the evening was an outstanding time of entertainment. DCW