North West Theatre

Bus Stop

William Inge
23 Jul 10 to 03 Nov 10
Theatre by the Lake

A warm-hearted American romance set in a snowbound Kansas diner in the 1950s. When a disparate group of bus passengers are forced to spend the night together in Grace’s Diner, they each reveal how love touches their lives. Among them is Cherie, a night club singer, who is trying to get away from Bo Decker, a headstrong young cowboy who intends to marry her and take her back to Montana…

Stefan Escreet’s sympathetic handling... wraps the audience in warmth and affection... These three performances are just about perfect with Martin Johns’ excellent period setting creating the feeling of claustrophobia, which act two builds on in this thoughtful, lively production... Christopher Webster handles the transformation of his character’s belligerence to tenderness... very well indeed... Stephen Ley has some of the best lines, which he delivers beautifully... the best performance is by Patrick Bridgman... a superb, mature reading of a solitary man, with few lines but tremendous presence.
The Stage
...director Stefan Escreet gives us a strong ensemble performance... [Stephen] Ley’s performance, and that of Patrick Bridgman... suggest that inside this mostly light-hearted production there is a sadder, and wiser, play waiting to get out.
What's On Stage (Rating: 4/5)
...hardly a forgotten classic but is fun, engaging and amusing... Martin Johns has created an impressive set design that looks totally authentic right down to the non-matching chairs. Stefan Escreet's production keeps everything moving and makes a fair attempt at getting over the difficulties... The actors all seem perfectly suited to their roles... While this wouldn't be one of the major recommendations of the current season, it is a good production, well performed with some good moments and provides an entertaining way of passing a couple of hours.
British Theatre Guide