From the moment the curtains opened onto Amanda Harris’s exquisitely designed set the audience was immediately transported into a vicarage garden in high summer.

Director Karen Johnstone had chosen Richard Everett’s thought provoking and witty Entertaining Angels as the Woolstore’s first production of the year.

Christine Powell was the pivotal character Grace, a recently widowed clergy wife in a household of three disparate women, who had spent a lifetime on her best behaviour.

For the first time free of constraints, she makes life uncomfortable for those around her with her acerbic wit.

Her missionary sister Ruth (Hilary Armstrong) has returned from Africa ostensibly to support Grace, but with a 30 year old secret that will shatter everyone’s illusions.

The Woolstore audience had once again been offered something a little bit different, a less well known play that ticked all the boxes for an enjoyable theatre experience.

Entertaining Angels had a small, but extremely well cast group of actors. It is a wordy play, with dialogue that was sharp and perceptive, allowing the characters to develop sympathetically.

I had no idea of what I was going to see but I enjoyed this production immensely.

In May the Woolstore is hosting a one act play festival, and in June there will be the opportunity to see behind the scenes as well as enjoy on-stage entertainment when the theatre has an open day.

Romy Wyeth