• Moonlight and Magnolias
• Final week June 14 to 18. Tues-Sat at 7.30pm

Reviewed by Georgia Winter

This performance is a real ‘behind the scenes’ of the making of a Movie masterpiece as you watch David O. Selznick, Ben Hecht and Victor Fleming hectically try to turn over one thousand pages into just over a hundred.

It was all blood, sweat and peanuts for these boys - and the secretary of course.

When arriving at the theatre I liked the atmosphere because all the ushers were dressed up in inspiration of the film "Gone with the Wind" which made the environment already preset for the show.

As soon as the curtains opened there was an instant applause and when you see the set, you will understand why. Before it had even started I was overwhelmed by the amazing detail in the costumes and set. From the posters on the walls, the open books to the speaker box and ink on his desk. Brilliant job there.

As the show started you are taken in with these characters as they start to write a screen play. I loved how they interacted so naturally and slap stick was used here and there which was good for comic relief. One piece that seemed to stick out to me was when Selznick was trying to explain the story over and over. I especially liked how he would argue with himself as the characters. "It can't be" "It can!" "It can't."

It also had some very funny quotes throughout such as "longer than a whore’s dream" Which I admit, I have not heard before. It wasn't long David O' Selznick and Victor Fleming started acting out the book which very amusing to watch and I believe David made a wonderful Scarlett and well done Victor for delivering a baby.

As we arrived at the interval I can only say I was amazed at how captivating and how natural all the acting is and I am impressed at how it actually captured me to follow the entire story. The idea of three men trapped in an office to make a film in five days also contributed. But all good things must come to an end and I think the ending was perfect because it tied up everything without any lingering questions.

Ashton and I also had a chat with the producers. It took seven long weeks to get this play onto the stage.  Theatre Alive put on four shows a year, and their last production was Brassed Off which I also attended and was brilliant. I also had to ask what was behind the title of "Moonlight and Magnolias" which really describes a melodrama and maybe not worth making a film of.  Hecht did say to Selznick he “It's a big nothing and that it won’t go anywhere as a film, especially a war film”.

Overall. Fantastic show, well done actors and producers. I definitely recommend this to all who are thinking of seeing it. It is a brilliant story. Well done.

Reviewed by Ashton Wastney

This play is about the making of Gone with the Wind. The season run is from June 10 to June 18.  The show came alive at the Theatre Royal for me at the preview dress rehearsal where peanuts and bananas were passed around the set in 1930’s slapstick comedy style. The era was also created by the ushers and various audience members to create a Hollywood feel for the night.

This production took 6 - 7 weeks to rehearse and was polished to a high standard. It is most definitely a must see for the audience members of Nelson.

The story is about a Hollywood producer (David O. Selznick).  He is not happy with the script for his next major movie Gone with The Wind. His only solution is to get director Victor Fleming off the Wizard of Oz and screenplay writer Ben Hecht and get them straight onto re-writing this major Hollywood script. For the next five days the three of them are locked in Mr. Selznick's office to write the screenplay, living only on peanuts and bananas.

The set made up from 1930’s props like telephones, movie posters, furnishings, and the typewriter completed the already amazing set that was brightly coloured with 1930’s style wallpaper and carpet to set the true Hollywood mood of this performance.

Moonlight And Magnolias was set in a Hollywood production studio. The set covered the stage in a circular shape with Mr. Selznick's desk, two sofas in the centre upper stage, this made it easy to focus on the drama between the actors on stage, and also there was a light fitting dangling from the roof center stage that acted like a spotlight for the action on stage.

"Frankly my dear I don't give a damn" - David O. Selznick’s winning line that lives on today was the ‘handle line’ Mr. Selznick needed for Gone with the Wind. This came at the end of the play.

This play was performed to a high level and was an amazing story about the making of Gone with the Wind. I would personally recommend this production which is suitable for all audiences.