Almost, Maine

Almost, Maine was presented by Roleystone Theatre at Roleystone Hall in May 2021. This version, by KTPerformance Collective at the Girls School, for Fringe World, features the same director and many of the original cast, but feels like a very different production.

While the show is set in January, you can’t get much different weather than the fictional town of Almost in Northern Maine and Biology at the Girls School, Perth at this time of year. Kudos to these performers for reminding us that no matter how uncomfortable the audience felt, actors in snow suits, hats and scarves were doing it tough, “shivering in the cold” in 40 degrees plus.

One of the stand-out features of the Roleystone production was that it played throughout the auditorium. This incarnation lost that, but the tiny venue made this a much more intimate production, and you couldn’t miss a single flicker of expression (or bead of sweat).

Bookended by a lovely prologue and epilogue, Almost, Maine is a series of small plays, telling often bizarre little love stories - running a gamut of emotions.

Paul Treasure appears in the prologue and remains on stage throughout the performance, A beautifully focused performance. Director Kristen Twynam-Perkins nicely reprises the small role that she played in the bookend scenes in the original production and picks up a few other roles, including Hope, who returns to her hometown to give a long overdue answer and Gayle who demands her long-term boyfriend return the love he gave her.

Joanna Tyler plays a variety of very different roles well, including Glory, who carries her broken heart in a bag, Marci who is lonely in her marriage and Rhonda whose toughness has always stood in the way of romance. Alan Gill, who always has such brilliant facial expression shines in multiple roles including the hard-working Phil, the very gentle Dave and Lendall, whose proposal to his long-time girlfriend is overdue.

Sam Barnett joins the cast for this production bringing some new interpretations, with roles including Steve, who feels no pain and needs his brother to tell him what to fear, East who falls suddenly in love with a hiker in his yard and a young man who finds himself literally falling as he realises he is falling in love with his best mate.

Almost, Maine and its series of unlikely stories once again was a gift to the audience with its feel-good vibe and beautiful warmth. Lovely to visit Almost, again.

Kimberley Shaw