The Argosy Players - From Five to Five Thirty

OUR SITE USES FRAMES TO ACHIEVE A NOSTALGIC LOOK – IF YOU CANNOT SEE A MENU TO THE LEFT OF THIS PAGE, PLEASE CLICK ON THE ‘HOME’ BUTTON ABOVE

THE ARGOSY PLAYERS - LIVERPOOL

The Argosy Players in: From Five to Five Thirty by Philip Johnson

Staged: 18 November 1955 in the Basement Theatre Head Office Water Street Liverpool

Performing once more in front of their peers, the Argosy Players compliment their colleagues from the Music Section of the Society of the Arts, with another of their one act drama productions. It would seem that families scheming over the final estates of loved ones is an evergreen topic for a play, and in “From Five to Five Thirty” by Philip Johnson, the plotting amongst three sisters over an assumed inheritance is rife. Coupled with the dilemma of whom exactly will inherit what, there is the question of the poor character who is not yet dead, and who, having been guilty of “eccentric behaviour” – and in order to save the embarrassment of her three daughters - must be “put away” in an old people’s home. Those familiar with the social care crises of the 2010s might draw startlingly similar comparisons here! Once again, we see an all-female cast leading a strong and powerful story to its inevitable twist, but we shall leave the Winter 1955 edition of Martins Bank Magazine to explain that one…

On the evening of November 18th the Argosy Players and members from the Music Section of the Society entertained their fellow members in the Basement Theatre at Head Office. The programme was divided into two parts. After the interval for refreshments a one-act play. From Five to Five-Thirty, by Philip Johnson, was presented by the Argosy Players.

The story concerns the three daughters of an old lady who decide that her “modern” behaviour is a matter of such grave scandal in the small-time town in which they live that she must enter an old people's home. They discover, however, that her extravagance on what they believe to be the allowance they make her stems from a large unexpected legacy she has received and their “respectability” ego is somewhat deflated when they learn that they are not.

Rose Firmin, Marlis Harvey, Shelagh Boyle, Valerie Barrett anti Pamela Rooke.

In fact, her daughters at all but of a much-despised daily help for whose sake whilst serving a life sentence for murder they have been brought up by the lady they have believed to be their mother. The parts of the three highly unpleasant daughters are played by Shelagh Boyle, as the Vicar's wife: Pamela Rooke. as the games mistress: and Valerie Barrett as the domesticated one with two adored children. Shelagh Boyle was outstandingly good in her portrayal of the part and made up for a certain lack of unpleasantness in the other two. Valerie was supposed to be the weak, reluctant-to-use-force one. but Valerie’s trouble is to look anything other than her natural sweet self. Pamela, despite her very realistic black eye. would have been rather lost without Shelagh as the spearhead of the attack. Marlis Harvey played the mother quite convincingly though a little more bitterness would have suited the part better. The daily help was played by Rose Firmin, a character part which she carried with complete confidence. Altogether a very pleasant evening's entertainment. The play was produced by S. Wyn Roberts and the Stage Manager was Hazel Carden. Among those present we were pleased to see Mr. and Mrs. D. O. Maxwell.