“A cosy comedy that is a joy from start to finish”
A day at the races beckons, as East Bridgford & Bingham Drama Group perform Amanda Whittington’s “Ladies’ Day”, which sees a group of factory employees leave behind their monotonous working lives for a day of betting and boozing. It’s the early noughties, so expect references to the Queen, CDs and boyband Blue, as this play brings elements of nostalgia in a cosy comedy that is a joy from start to finish. Throughout their day trip, past secrets come to light which threaten to change the characters’ lives forever. This is a riotous production, incredibly funny with believable characters and excellent chemistry shared between the four leading actors.
The play begins in a fish factory in Grimsby, and the acting is so natural we find ourselves immediately absorbed by the story. Pearl (Jane Murray) is nearing her early retirement, and to celebrate, the factory girls decide to plan a day trip to Royal Ascot, which is visiting York that year. The idea of brushing up against celebrities and millionaires is too much to resist, and the decision is quickly made, with a funny choreographed section to Tony Christie’s ‘Amarillo’ seeing the girls ditch their factory uniforms and swap them for fancy hats and high heels. As the play continues, we learn that Pearl has ulterior motives for attending Ladies’ Day, as the story slowly unravels across the course of the two and a half hour play.
Joining Pearl on her grand day out are co-workers Jan (Karen Peckover) and Shelley (Rebecca Cresswell). Despite protestations that she “isn’t much of a drinker”, Jan wastes no time in downing glass after glass of champagne, which eventually catches up with her in the second act, Peckover delivering some incredible comedy as Jan continually puts her foot in it with some of her comments. Shelley is more interested in flirting with TV celeb Jim McCormack (Rob Hurst), in the hope that his money will help pay off some of her debts. Cresswell has some of the funniest lines here, a mix of flirtatious and a little bit outrageous.
Completing the group is Linda (Lauren Parnell), an old-before-her-time Tony Christie fan who brings a youthful innocence to the role, although hides a rather sad backstory. Linda is a tad gullible, but the other characters never take advantage of her, instead taking her under their wing and supporting her throughout. It is the relationships between the characters that makes this such fun. Despite differences in age, the four actors have great chemistry together, occasionally talking over each other or interrupting each other as you would in a normal conversation.
Rob Hurst takes on multiple characters throughout, from factory owner Joe to gambling addict Kevin, each character with a different accent which allows Hurst to show off his acting talents – although you have to suspend your disbelief a little bit when a man of Hurst’s stature appears as jockey Patrick! The play features many comic interludes (the appearance of Kevin doesn’t add much to the story at all but is an amusing aside) but rest assured that there is an underlying plot which helps to move the story on at a brisk pace.
Chris Henley appears towards the end of the play as Barry, in a plot device that initially feels a little cliché and convenient, but is revealed to be something a bit more ambiguous which provides an interesting twist. This is director Sally Baldock’s first time at the helm of a full-length play, and it is a resounding success. Both Parnell and Murray are new to the group, and yet it is clear they have fitted in perfectly, which must be testament to Baldock’s ability to bring together such a strong cast. Julz Dawson’s set design allows for quick transitions between the fish factory and the Royal Ascot with some nifty flats that open out to reveal the swanky surroundings of York racecourse.
This is another brilliant comedy from East Bridgford & Bingham Drama Group, one that is reminiscent of classic BBC comedies that doesn’t need to rely on swearing or overt innuendo to draw laughs from the audience. There are two sequels to this play (‘Ladies Down Under’ and ‘Ladies Unleashed’) and I know for a fact that if the group were to perform either of these sequels, I would be first in line for a ticket. An excellent afternoon of entertainment.
Tom Morley, June 2026
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