ACT Reviews 2022-2023 Season

GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM by David Wood, adapted from the novel by Michelle Magorian Directed by: Alison Bell Blackburn Drama Club I was very happy to return to the Blackburn Empire Theatre for their production of the much-loved story “Goodnight Mister Tom”. It was wonderful on arrival to see the theatre full to the brim with excited patrons, and great to hear from the always very friendly and welcoming Front of House team that this had been the case for all performances of this

very moving and poignant story. I was also impressed by the programme – a lot of effort had clearly gone into this; it was great quality and had some really interesting and relevant articles, as well as the cast and crew lists, and welcome from director Alison Bell. On entering the auditorium my attention was immediately drawn to the

kitchen set on stage, especially to the stove with its flickering red glow – this set the scene perfectly for the warmth and comfort William Beech (played by Ciarán Glass) would find in Mr Tom's (played by Andrew Smith) home. I was also impressed by how the full depth of the stage was used, with the home set upstage and downstage used for the graveyard (a permanent reminder throughout the production of the presence of Rachel, Tom's deceased wife, in Tom's thoughts and choices throughout the story) and community scenes. As was the case for the last Blackburn