1 review
England's class war land
A proposed motorway extension must go through either the golf club or the allotments. One of the allotment holders, Ron Ollershaw (Ron Delta) is persuaded to stand for the upcoming Council elections against sitting Councillor Horace Burley (Geoffrey Andrews), a prominent member of the golf club.
Nothing is spared to steer our sympathies towards the allotment "peasants". Burley is brash, somewhat obese, lives in a large detached house, and owns the local motor firm. I'm surprised he didn't also find time to be the JP and Master of Foxhounds. He leans on Ollershaw's printer, who happens to be one of his mates, to delay his election leaflets. Then one of his henchmen steals a bag full of them when it is left in the road unattended. His political affiliation is not stated, but we are invited to guess due to his rosette being Conservative blue. Both candidates broke election law; Burley by election treating in the pub, Ollershaw by the probably less serious offence of canvassing electors outside the polling station before they voted. I rather suspect the writer didn't realise the latter is against the law.
It's an entertaining play, though some nuance would have made it less of a class war caricature. We see nothing of the club's lawns man (if that's the right term, I'm not a golfer) and bar staff, who would lose their jobs if the club closed. As for who won the election, you'll have to watch it yourself to find out.
Nothing is spared to steer our sympathies towards the allotment "peasants". Burley is brash, somewhat obese, lives in a large detached house, and owns the local motor firm. I'm surprised he didn't also find time to be the JP and Master of Foxhounds. He leans on Ollershaw's printer, who happens to be one of his mates, to delay his election leaflets. Then one of his henchmen steals a bag full of them when it is left in the road unattended. His political affiliation is not stated, but we are invited to guess due to his rosette being Conservative blue. Both candidates broke election law; Burley by election treating in the pub, Ollershaw by the probably less serious offence of canvassing electors outside the polling station before they voted. I rather suspect the writer didn't realise the latter is against the law.
It's an entertaining play, though some nuance would have made it less of a class war caricature. We see nothing of the club's lawns man (if that's the right term, I'm not a golfer) and bar staff, who would lose their jobs if the club closed. As for who won the election, you'll have to watch it yourself to find out.
- midbrowcontrarian
- Mar 21, 2023
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