Casablanca

Casablanca

On the opening night of HADIT’s live radio play I was transported from a chilly Hope Valley all the way to the sub-Mediterranean climate of Casablanca, to watch a true ensemble piece based on the famous screenplay. The setting was simple and very effective, that of a radio studio complete with mics, ‘on air’ signs, musical accompaniment and live sound effects, with cast and crew on stage for the duration, supported by the lighting team at the back.

Many of the cast played multiple roles, switching between characters with ease and speed. This was helped by simple, cohesive costumes that were evocative of the era but allowed for character differentiation with effective use of an item of clothing e.g. a hat, or scarf etc. The range played was even more impressive given the fact that due to unforeseen circumstances there had been several of the cast who had to drop out due to the current illness sweeping the valley, with some cast taking on roles for the first time that night. As a member of the audience, you could see the cast working together to help each other out but at the same time you could not tell who was taking on a brand-new part. Well done to all those who had multiple roles including Cheryl Mulvey, Pat Quinn, Fiona Johnson, Phil Edge, David Garwes and Sean Ryan.

Alongside these versatile actors were those who had to take on one part and develop a well-known character over the whole play, such as Nick Williams, Tim Smallwood, Monica Secretan and Nigel Topping (HADIT’s musical director) taking on the part of Sam and playing live. Jane Bramwell, as well as playing a few smaller parts, entertained us with some wonderful classic tunes as Corina, singer at the Café Américain. Two performances were of note, one being from Brent Storey, as Rick Blaine, who had the unenviable task of delivering iconic lines which he did with aplomb and showing his range as an actor, going from the Dame to Bogart is quite a switch! The second was Carn Truscott as the Chief of Police, who really got the character and the accent and was acting his socks off throughout. He’s definitely a great addition to the HADIT family.

There was, however, a performance that for me stole the show, and that was of Foley sound and support in the form of Janet Skirrow and Ellie Papworth. Their sound effects required huge concentration and timing, and they successfully added so much to the performance but without distracting from the action. The train sound effect at the end of Act One and the tape measure in Act Two were brilliant!

The pace of Act Two could have been a little quicker, but this will no doubt pick up as the run continues. At times volume was lost a little due to accents, a tricky thing to get right, but this did improve, and I would encourage the cast to focus on this going forwards. Overall, however, the director Carolyn Garwes has pulled together a play of many strands and many people under some challenging circumstances to provide an entertaining evening for both those who know the film and those who are new to it.

There are still tickets available for the remaining nights and I would urge you not to miss it. If you do you will regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life!

Stephen Kettle

26 November 2025