New Era offered an evening of delightful short plays brought together with the
title Only Connect which carries two meanings; making a connection between the
head and the heart, between thoughts and feelings, but also alludes to the idea that
true fulfilment comes when connecting with others. And this couldn’t be truer in the
first play we watched.
The first of the plays, And It Makes Me Wonder, was written and directed by Jenni
Collins and Mandy Clarke, a story of a real-life encounter near Reading in the early
80s between a teenage boy and an older woman at a bus stop. The interaction
inspires the boy to follow his dreams into the star-studded world of becoming a
musician, influenced by Pat, the old lady telling him stories of her famous son Jimmy
Page, the guitarist from Led Zeppelin. It was a touching tale of crossing generational
barriers and connecting with strangers.
Mandy Clark covered the role of Pat due to the original actor not being able to
perform, but she inhabited the part with true authenticity of a wiser older woman
sharing her kindness, stories and life experience. Mario Jones who plays Johnny, the
directionless and lost teenager, portrayed the role well, showing his character’s aloof
indifference, gradually warming to Pat and building a lovely interaction and rapport
between the two actors. The supporting cast played their roles well with playfulness
and comedy. The script is full of lovely humour and warmth.
The next two shorts were written by Alan Bennett. A Lady of Letters was first
performed in 1988 by Patricia Routledge and more recently recorded by Imelda
Staunton. This one-woman monologue was performed here by Sally Hall, with sharp
wit and subtle pathos. The monologue reveals the loneliness and misplaced
convictions of Miss Ruddock who obsessively sends letters of complaint to fill her
empty life.
Irene Ruddock is a judgemental busybody but unexpectedly becomes liberated by
incarceration; in prison she finds friendship and her life purpose. This is a poignant
piece and darkly humorous.
The most outstanding performance of the evening was Luisa Rayner performing
Alan Bennett’s Bed Among the Lentils monologue. Luisa subtly brings Susan’s
repressed wit and loneliness to life, portraying the struggles of a vicar’s wife who
slowly loses patience with the church community and seeks her own enjoyment
through “the bottle” and an illicit relationship with a local shopkeeper. The piece is a
powerful character study which is darkly funny and deeply moving.

This was a thoroughly engaging evening with strong direction overall, where
storytelling, strong characterisation and humour made us all feel more connected in
the end.