Ladies Day charts the lives of four women working in a fish-filleting factory. From the routine to the extreme, the ladies venture out to Ascot the year it was held at York. Luck happens to be on their side as they find enclosure tickets, so they take a gamble and enter the tote jackpot. With their day out comes revelations into their private worlds and the women learn more about each other in one day than they had in years working alongside each other. They face the highs and lows of a day at the races and return to their jobs enriched with stronger friendships and a stroke of luck.
Aston Productions version of Ladies’ Day is a real tour de force. From the moment we meet the women at their factory jobs we are brought into a treat of an evening. The play itself is well written providing a good dose of comedy and dramatic twists for each of the women. Julie Fox deftly works her magic in her direction of a great script and her work supports and strengthens that with a strong cast that you instantly are endeared towards. Hayley Marie Axe is magnificent as Shelley who she plays to the full and is a great role to showcase her comic talent and character work. Kath Perry’s Pearl is beautifully played with real conviction and belief, she gives a rounded and heart felt performance from start to finish. Madelein MacMahon has a wonderful natural quality and is aptly cast as Linda. She exquisitely gives a sensitive and touching performance. Gillian Johnstone’s Jan is terrific. She lends a naïve and vulnerable quality to the role played to just the right level. Ben Manning multi roles with great dexterity in shaping his different characters from Joe the humble and meek man to the confident and slightly sleazy Jim and gives a tender role much credit as Barry. Tim Gutteridge also multi roles and again gives a strong performance to each part. Armed with youth and spirit Tim brings a great energy to his work.
Overall a triumph of a piece and one not to miss. A definite hit of the Fringe.
