The Story

The New Inn Theatre

Halse Players County Gazette write up by Lewis Wiseman 5 Feb 2024

Halse Players presented Henna Night, written by Amy Rosenthal over three nights last week and it was a resounding success.  The play was directed by Annie Hoole and starred two of the New Inn’s staff; Serena Spiller and Lucy Turner.  It featured two women at different points in their life, and different points in their romantic relationship. One thing they did share was a love for the same man.

Judith (played by Serena Spiller) leaves her ex-boyfriend a message on his answerphone saying that she is not coping with their recent split and has ordered some henna and razor blades, yet to make up her mind on which to use.  The ex’s new girlfriend Ros (played by Lucy Turner), heard the message though, and she rushed to Judith’s side.

What followed was an evening of emotion, humour and a fair bit of bickering, but after working through each others pains, they found friendship and gained something positive from each other.  It truly was a riveting story to follow and a very strong ode to Amy Rosenthal’s play.  The cast truly did an impressive job portraying the raw emotion involved throughout the play and from start to finish it was a gripping watch.

What made it more impressive was this show was a first effort in the performing arts for Serena Spiller.  You wouldn’t have known though as she effortlessly worked through the storyline and her delivery often earned a laugh or a gasp from the audience.  As for Lucy Turner, she showcased her theatrical experience with eloquence and style, truly very impressive.

And for the venue, the New Inn, Halse, was great. There was plenty of space, great lines of sight to the stage and a really nice ambience for the evening.