In a similar vein to the famous St Trinian’s films, British playwright Denise Deegan’s 1983 play DAISY PULLS IT OFF, based on Winnifred Norling’s 1939 novel THE TESTING OF TANSY, transports audiences to the wacky, temperamental world of schoolgirl dormitory life. The spotlight falls on vivacious public school student Daisy Meredith who wins a place at the exclusive Grangewood School for Young Ladies in London.
It’s there that Daisy faces an uphill battle. The rich girls give her a dreadful time and try and make her feel unwanted. Daisy, however, is a resilient spirit and strives to gain acceptance and excel academically.
Putting it mildly, Daisy’s journey is not one of the more absorbing journeys put on stage. Nevertheless the playwright tells her yarn with plenty of appealing, tongue in cheek humour- the genre essentially parody, and Mark Langham’s direction follows suit. The stage is very busy…the pace fast…actors delivering props and then disappearing.
The big highlight is the hockey final that the school features in, which is played out in high spirits, much fanfare and plenty of flaying hockey sticks.
The show is good natured, light entertainment which the cast perform competently and with plenty of enthusiasm.
Mature actresses play the schoolgirl roles and pull it off well. Anna Hitchings plays the over-achieving Daisy. Amylea Griffin is good fun as Daisy’s chum- high spirited poetess Trixie Martin, though, at times, I felt like she could have ‘pulled back’ her performance a little.
Bianca Bradey was convincing as Daisy’s nemesis, the bitchy, spoilt rich girl Sybil as was Diana Kalfax as her inseparable friend, Monica.
Anita Donovan and Laura Genders were suitably prim and bossy as school prefects, Clare and Alice.
In the more senior roles- Daniel Hitchings, Anna’s big brother, played quirky music teacher Mr Scoblowski, Kerry Day delivered a confident performance as the old fashioned and a bit daffy headmistress, Miss Gibson, and Jane Thorpe was very busy playing four roles most notably Mademoiselle.
Owen Gimblett designed the period set, Susan Carveth the costumes, and Mehran Mortezaei designed the sound design with the director and the lighting, some nice touches with Mark Banks.
The Genesian Theatre Company’s production of Denise Deegan’s DAISY PULLS IT OFF is playing the Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent Street, city until November 16.