Front (Room) of House

My faith in ‘The Arts’ has returned after Wednesday’s awful experience at the Guildhall. This afternoon the Coles headed out to sample some theatre, not in any of the traditional venues but in the front room of some friends in the centre of merry Gloucester. A company called Planet Arts specialises in bringing vibrant theatre to the living rooms of the south west and beyond and today, as you can see, a packed crowd watched Caribbean Angels, a shortish three-hander dealing energetically with the perceptions linked to encroaching middle age. I was outside in the back garden peering jauntily through the window, enjoying every moment and emphatically appreciating the intimacy such a venture brings. The play centred around Joy, lonely and maudlin as she approaches her half century, but reinvigorated by the visit of two angels who bring thrilling tidings of secrets in her family’s past. The plot was embellished through several poignant songs, delivered beautifully, that added depth to the developing narrative. I can think of worse ways of spending a Sunday afternoon; the entertainment was different and it worked splendidly.