The Card

It was a jolly good idea to adapt Arnold Bennett's novel "The Card" as a musical.

Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, who did it, have kept faithfully to the original (within the framework of adaptation) and the character of Denry Machin hardly suffers from the obligatory burst of song every now and then.

Walmsley Operatic Society, who are presenting the show all this week at the Egerton School Hall, have shifted the action from the Five Towns to Bolton, thus obviating the necessity of reproducing complicated potteries accents.

Walmsley give a very lively performance of a splendid little show.

Philip Lloyd plays Denry with all the necessary cheek and verve, having two excellent foils in Brenda Dixon, as his mother, and Audrey Raistrick, as a dignified but human Contess of Chell.
Irene Taylor is delightful as the fortune-hunting dancing mistress, Ruth Earp, and Dorothy Yardley, as the gentle self-effacing Mellie, who finally gets The Card, is entirely believable.

The music, under the direction of Jessie Whittaker, fits the mood.

Charles Petry

This tongue-in-cheek appealing musical has an intriguing story line and plenty of lovely action but lacks strong musical content.

Walmsley Church AODS have an experienced chorus which goes a long way in making up for the deficiencies and a trio of young attractive principals whose excellent acting makes up for their lack of singing ability.

The Card is a story of Denry Machin, and his rise from humble clerk in a North Country office, to Mayor. In the leading role, Philip Lloyd shows a nice sense of judgment and cheeky humour as the Edwardian entrepreneur. He is well matched by Irene Taylor as the class-conscious dancing mistress he falls in love with and whose extravagance almost ruins him, and Dorothy Yardley as the obliging girlfriend who nurtures a secret passion for him. Brenda Dixon is superb as Denry's shrewd, unimpressed mother whose cutting comments act as a continual jar to his conscience. She has the gift of being able to convey a wealth of meaning in a few lines of dialogue, and Audrey Raistrick is suitably impressive as the Contess of Chell.

The production is by Derek Taylor, choreography by Sonia Talbot and Jessie Whittaker is musical director.