“Melody” by Deirdre Kinahan  presented by  Service Players

Mr Kane and Kathleen meet eating lunch on a park bench and they end up sharing more than their sandwiches.  They form a strong friendship which is tested, but together they learn to accept the blessings and face the challenges of love.

Review by Susie Beswick

A Widow, Kathleen and a Widower Mr Kane, neither in the first of bloom of life, but lonely as we see each sitting on a park bench eating their daily lunch and as usual, alone. On this occasion however, Kathleen’s peace is disturbed by a middle aged unprepossessing gent who obviously always sits on the same seat to have his lunch.

She was not impressed and reluctantly did give him space and permission to speak. A calm, thoughtful, silence time during which they listen, with joy to the lunchtime concert. Neither of them can disguise their admiration for the ‘Puccini’ wafting in the air or the beautiful park with colourful shrubs projected onto a screen.

Each day their lunch seems to coincide, their sometimes shared fare becomes more shared and adventurous and their shy reservations waft away. They even danced together in that Park. Happiness, love and commitment, a relationship even looks to be on the cards – until revelations about their mutual involvement in the Sex Industry become press fodder! A flash in the pan, but initially very upsetting and detrimental to their hopes. Yesterday’s news and all that! A paper pushing desk job with phone of course but not worth the Papers!

Both Kathleen and Mr Kane tried the casual approach – nonchalantly visiting the park with lunch in hand and in the hope of seeing each other and as you can guess, their tenacity paid off. Who doesn’t like a love story especially when the characters are lovely?

The set was appropriate and gave them and us a larger sense of space than was there, and in which they moved well. The play was beautifully written and interpreted with humour and charm. I found some of the dialogue delicate and poetic, and they didn’t trample on those Irish flowers
A delightful play to conclude the One Act Play Festival Thank you Service Players.

Photographs by Mike Trout