The Mourning AfterA Play by Verity Laughton
We meet Belle on Christmas day at the beach. She has, only the day before, witnessed the sudden death of her husband and is trying to come to terms with abrupt solitude. This lonely beach lunch is an attempt to sustain a family tradition but it soon becomes clear that it had been a tradition honoured somewhat reluctantly by her now grown up children. As Belle explores her feelings she tells us about her family and her life with both humour and sadness. As her life unfolds we see a picture of a woman who has confined her own dreams for the sake of her family. Hers is a story that I suspect will strike a chord with many and it is a mark of Ms. Hayes skills that she can have us laughing one minute and feeling sadly reflective the next. So well did Belle tell her story that I lost all consciousness of myself as part of an audience. She was talking to me and she made her memories live for me. It would not have been easy to cast the role of Belle, for the character is an actor herself. Belle had in fact been the lead role in a long running radio soap opera and held aspirations to perform in musical productions. Nancye Hayes proves to be perfect for the part. In addition to an impressive list of stage credits she has appeared in musicals including, My Fair Lady, Sweet Charity and many others. Her broad experience is apparent in this role. She moves about the stage with the grace of a dancer and sings wonderfully. When you see "The Mourning After", and I urge you to do just that, you will understand why playwright Verity Laughton describes actor Nancye Hayes as a "...dream come true". The Mourning After Written by: Verity Laughton Directed By: Tony Sheldon Starring: Nancye Hayes Glen Street Theatre, Frenches Forest, Sydney Bookings: (02) 9975 1455 
Michael Maher (our theatre buff)
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