"Happiest Days of your Life" was performed at Rackheath Village Hall between 23-25 May 2002 The masters of Hilary Hall School for Boys are told that St Swithin's, a girls' school, will be billeted upon them. The staff try desperately to conceal the fact that boys and girls are housed together, but in vain, for the parents find out. They are about to remove their offspring when a message arrives: a third school is to share Hilary Hall. Against this common enemy, both staff and parents unite to barricade the gates. John Dighton (1909-1989) is perhaps best known for writing this well-loved farce, which was first performed in 1948 at the Apollo Theatre in London. He also co-wrote (with Frank Launder) the film adaptation in 1950 which starred Alistair Sim as Mr. Pond, Margaret Rutherford as Miss Whitchurch and, in one of her best-remembered roles, Joyce Grenfell as Miss Gossage. Director: Diane Goldsmith Godfrey Pond, Headmaster of Hilary Hall - Stephen Dunstan Rupert 'Daisy' Billings - Ray Tempesta Dick Tassell - Daniel Knights Rainbow Shailer - David Goldsmith Hopcroft Minor - Thomas Pellew Evelyn Whitchurch, Principle of St. Swithin's - Julie Dignum Miss 'Sausage' Gossage - Angela Smith Joyce Harper - Laura Dignum Barbara Cahoun - Laura Daynes The Rev. Edward Peck - Jeff Granger Mrs Peck - Jenny Howard Edgar Sowter - Tony Stone Hilda Sowter - Linda Phillips Performed in association with Samuel French

THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE As soon as the curtain went up upon a most impressive set we knew that this was going to be one of the best plays that the Players have yet produced. The play began on the first day of term in the Common Room of a boys' school - Hilary Hall. Two masters - Rupert Billings and Dick Tassell, who were settling-in in the usual manner, if finding a stick of rock at least 5 years old and a scarf that would have wound round the Isle of Wight twice was normal practice, were soon to have shattering news brought in by the Headmaster - the School was to be shared by another School. We knew instinctively that this was going to be a Girls School but it didn't dawn on these 'academics' who thought that this would be a boys' school. Here the fun began, sleeping arrangements which had been settled for boy entrants were soon shattered when the girls arrived, as were meal times and types of games to be played etc. When two sets of parents arrives, a set from both schools, each little thinking it was a mixed school now, the play became hilarious. The staff went to great lengths to jeep the parents in ignorance of the true situation especially when the cricket and netball pitches had to be constantly changed and the hard done-by lugubrious porter had to keep changing netball posts. This was only one of the many tricky situations. There was a touch of genius at the end when yet a third school was going to be put upon them - a school for backward boys and forward girls! This caused a united front with both boys and girls putting up a barricade and parents joining in. I have deliberately not mentioned the names of the cast as everyone acted with one accord, giving superb performances that we have come to expect especially from the leading players. (The dear, late Joyce Grenfell came alive again) The essence of farce is timing and this was a confident, fast-paced production enjoyed by both cast and audience alike, laughter came until tears came and when a play can achieve that level it is an accomplishment indeed. Congratulations to everyone involved. Well done! ONLOOKER RACKHEATH LIFE (AUTUMN 2002)

 

 

 

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