The Stage

Bus Stop

Published Monday 26 July 2010 at 10:57 by Anne Hopper

Stefan Escreet’s sympathetic handling of this penultimate production in the Theatre by the Lake’s summer rep season wraps the audience in warmth and affection.

Amy Ewbank in Bus Stop at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick Photo: Keith Pattison

William Inge’s comedy, underscored by pathos, uses the device of a mid-fifties Kansas diner to isolate his characters when they are stranded by a snowstorm. Three acts are condensed into two with a leisurely opening allowing the three locals, Sarah Groarke as diner owner Grace, Rebecca Elliot as schoolgirl waitress Elma and Robert Calvert as Sheriff Will to establish the tedium of day to day life before the invasion of the stranded ‘bus passengers.

These three performances are just about perfect with Martin Johns’ excellent period setting creating the feeling of claustrophobia, which act two builds on in this thoughtful, lively production. Andrew Grose as bus driver Carl quickly establishes amorous intent towards Grace as the pair exit to allow saloon singer Cherie, young, wild cowboy Bo, elderly academic Dr Lyman, who may be something else entirely, and cowhand Virgil to explode on to the stage. Amy Ewbank is outwardly confident but visibly vulnerable as Cherie, and as Bo, Christopher Webster handles the transformation of his character’s belligerence to tenderness - a word much used in the script - very well indeed. As Dr Lyman, Stephen Ley has some of the best lines, which he delivers beautifully with just the right inflection for maximum laughs.

But the best performance is by Patrick Bridgman as Bo’s loyal cowhand Virgil - a superb, mature reading of a solitary man, with few lines but tremendous presence.