What's The Difference Between A Donkey And A Mule?
Taken From The Grimsby Evening Telegraph November 1996 - Eila Rana (Arts Reporter)
Friday November 8th 1996
Tonight will be a night of firsts for Grimsby's Caxton Youth Theatre Group.
It premiere's playwright Andy Evans' Whats The Difference Between A Donkey And A Mule? It is Mr Evans' first work ever to be performed.
The one act drama follows the misfotuunes of two travelling female friends caught up in Thailand's frightening world of drug busting.
The first production since the group appointed a committee in August this year, it is something of a departure from the Youth Theatre's normal work.
Performed on a more intimate level in the Caxton Theatre bar, the small scale production will give the Caxton Players a chance to talent scout for their own plays.
Saturday November 9th 1996
Moving portrayal of young tragedy
Described as "a story of love and stupidity", this powerful Caxton Youth Theatre left its audience visibly moved.
The premiere of Andy Evans' - the Caxton Theatre's Education and Training Officer - What's The Difference Between A Donkey And A Mule? last night charted the tragic experience of two teenage northern English girls ensnared into the frightening world of drug smuggling in the Far East.
The play started of with a fast-moving, snappy scene set in the girls' toilet of a Grimsby nightclub. A seemingly safe environment, but the girls, Shelley and Hannah were only a step away from being used as drugs couriers and facing the unbearable consequences of getting caught.
The play was inspired by many real incidents and in that sense was predictable. The subject was abig one to tackle in just 50 minutes, so the undoubtedly talented cast did not have the chance to shine as much as they could have.
But the moving climax, an imaginative and poignant scene played out by Catherine Boot (Shelley) and Kelly Dzien (Hannah), must have left every member of the audience with a lump in their throats.
There is real promise in Catherine and Kelly's acting abilities. But the whole cast and backstage crew must be applauded for their hard work on this production which had a script bang up to date with youth culture.
This review can't pass without mention of the French accents of Alex Tyerman (Marianne) and Matthew Doyle (Jean Luc) which were impressively convincing and sustained.
Playwright teacher comes to the rescue
The cast of John Leggot College's production of What's The Difference Between A Donkey And A Mule?
Friday 13th is nevr a good day, so when John Leggott College's Head of Law, Andy Evans offered to stage his play What's The Difference Between A Donkey And A Mule? more than a few eyebrows were raised.
The main reason was that the cast had just two weeks to learn their lines before the performance. The original choice of play for the college fell through because of a problem in obtaining performing rights. So rather than disappoint the students, Andy offered his play for performance after a very enthusiastic premiere by the Caxton Youth Theatre in Grimsby a month ago.
Despite the short preparation time, the play went well before their audience at the college with powerful and emotive performances from Rachel Elliot and Nadine Armiger in the lead roles. Able support was provided by Sumudu Jayatilaka, Claire Heald Jonathan Newton and Catherine Lister.
The curiously titled play is concerned with the fortunes of two northern girls who grew up together, miming to Kylie and Jason records withtheir hairbrushes and kissing lads behind the local bus shelter. However, a chance meeting led to a holiday on which they get caught in a drugs ring leading to hefty prison sentences.
The audience were visibly moved and challenged by the performance and many were reduced to tears. A powerful one-act play.
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