The play takes place during the night shift at Kale Moor Grocery Depot. It is the supply depot for a chain of down market supermarkets. The characters who inhabit the 'animal shift' (as it is known) spend the play relieving the boredom of 'picking' by playing elaborate games and jostling for position and the action moves quickly from scene to scene and from level to level. When Bruce introduces a Murder Mystery set in Ancient Egypt the surrealism increases as the night-shift become librarians, archaeologists and a failed Poet Laureate!
Besides Bruce and Debbie, we meet Ewan, Bruce's second-in-command whose position in the pecking order is threatened by Debbie; Craig the Athlete - well, he did get an award for discus throwing once; Dids the Body-Builder who feels he should have title to being the athlete of the night shift and of course Robbo. Robbo is the butt of the jokes but has an extraordinary talent involving a nectarine and a trumpet mouth-piece!!
Continuing the MDG pattern for challenge, the director is setting this play 'on the floor' of the Town Hall with the fast-moving action moving from the stage, across the floor of the theatre and 'on the roof'. This will set some challenges for Stage Management, Lighting, Set Building, Props and the actors!
The play tells the tale of a motley crew of lads whose night-time world of not very much work and plenty of silly games with food (fish fencing and flan discus to name but two) is rudely shaken by the arrival of a woman - Debbie (Aby Bery), She is witty and ambitious and, worst of all, their leader rather likes her. So that's the end of games with food, and the start of a highly cerebral murder mystery game that brings out hidden sides to everyone's personalities and raises the burning question - who threw the frozen sprout that badly injured their former workmate?
The five actors and sole actress brought out the subtleties in their roles well, and the sharply-observed humour, tensions and jealousies in the relationships between the characters were vividly translated onto stage.
Of all the characters, the most complex was the ringleader (and gamesmaster) Bruce, played by Simon Kelly, Bruce's true intelligence and depth came through beneath his cocky and nonchalant exterior, his own catchphrase "Tragic!" summing himself up as someone who is not fulfilling their potential in life.
Every cast member rose well to the challenge thrown up by portraying a second role within their first - their Murder mystery game characters. This was handled excellently by Gareth Watkins who, as the weedy and vulnerable Craig, transformed into the smouldering, sexually charismatic archaeologist Dr. Damon Costello.
The Desborough Suite had been turned into a warehouse for this production, which was ground-breaking in terms of using the space to its best advantage, with boxes, ramps, platforms, catwalks, hazard tape and bare lighting making for an effect that was very powerful.
Maidenhead Drama Guild's 'End of the food Chain' proved that this group is just as adept at producing well-staged contemporary plays as it is at producing quality period productions and pantomimes.
Hannah Robertson