Hello world! Welcome back to another blog! Today I will be talking about my thoughts on the play Hobsons Choice, which I saw on 3rd October 2023 at the Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham.
As described by Kev astle (a reviewer of the shows at The Lace Market Theatre), this play is set in 1880s, in Salford. Overbearing and controlling Henry Hobson runs a boot manufacturer business, and "when his eldest daughter Maggie intends on marrying one of Hobson's employees, Willie Mossop, Honson is not happy. He refuses to settle a dowry on either of his two daughters and is frurious when Maggie takes matters into her own hands and sets up marraiges for her sisters herself".
This then leads to Maggie and Willie setting up their own business that strips Hobson's, but as described by Kev Castle, "when Hobson's drinking gets out of control, the previously timd Willie steps in to intervene..."
Normally with straight acting plays it’s hard to get into, and I originally went mainly to support my friends (as I know 3 people who performed in it). But I actually enjoyed it more than I thought, as bringing some modern comic moments to a classical piece was genius. The setup was also so beautiful. I knew it would be a small theatre but I thought it felt bigger than last time. I guess it may depend on the production and the layout of the piece This play was 4 acts in total, with 2 in each half. I was surprised that each act only lasted for 30 minutes each roughly, as I thought they would last longer. But I think that’s what made me like this okay more. Just enough to lure me in without dragging it for too long. The cast themselves were brilliant. But a few people stood out for me in particular. The first person who stood out for me was Isobel Muden who played Alice Hobson, the youngest daughter. She was natural, her accent was on point and since working with her on her confidence has improved so much. She was also one of the people I had in mind for my short film, as she’s able to bring a quirky side to not only her characters but also as a person, so I can’t wait to see what she brings going forward. My second stand out was Luke Willis, who played 2 characters which were Fred Beenstock and Dr MacFarlene. I know Luke from The Actors Workshop Nottingham, and I’ve also seen him in a previous production of Jekyll and Hyde, so he’s had experience with performing at the Lace Market before. This time he had the challenge of taking on 2 characters with different personalities.
I thought his first character Fred Beenstock was brilliant. The accent was on point, his naivety and slight innocence to the character he gave was impeccable, and the way he cared for Vicky Hobson was adorable. His second character Dr MacFarlane was completely different. He showed his more authoritative side, with a different accent and he made a clear contrast in characters. Shaun Harper was also a favourite, as he played shoemaker now business man Willie Mossop. I got the hint that Willie wasn’t stupid, but he hasn’t had a traditional education. But with the help of his wife Maggie, he managed to make a name for himself and created his own business. Shaun took on the role well, as he had the quirk about him that with the awkwardness and the naivety of Willie, it complimented him very well. There were some cast members who I didn’t know but pulled off a wonderful performance. One of which was Jennifer White who played Maggie Hobson. She had the most dialogue throughout the piece and the main focus overall. Her accent was on point, the costume she had looked amazing and I loved her attitude she brought to the character. This also informed me that if I were to get on the wrong side of Maggie Hobson, then I dread to think what will happen next Mr Henry Horatio Hobson himself was also brilliant, played by Len Jackson. I wasn’t sure if Mr Hobson was supposed to be a comedy character, but everything he said was giggle after giggle, even towards the end when his was dying he still managed to put out a joke or two. I think my only downside to the show was that there was someone who didn’t have their phone on silent. But the way the actors carried on was so professional, so slick and they managed to persevere with the performance. And if they can do it in a local theatre like this then they can smash it on the west end or any other professional stage.
Overall I would give the play a 4.75. Even though I don’t really watch straight acting plays in general, bringing those modern elements to it made me hooked on to the story. And if that phone didn’t go off, then it would’ve been given the full house.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time...
This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)
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