Review
Published: Thursday 02 September, 2010 by Jackie Chappell, Bath Chronicle
Daisy certainly pulls it off in Next Stage Youth’s ambitious production of Denise Deegan’s ripping yarn, a comedy traditionally played by adults in the role of children.
Set in a posh boarding school in the 1930s, Daisy Pulls It Off is a parody of the likes of The Famous Five or Angela Brazil’s school stories.
There is snobbery, larks in the dorm, a hunt for hidden treasure and a dramatic cliff rescue after a midnight feast has gone horribly wrong.
All these jolly japes are accompanied by a perfectly topping litany of expostulation – all that’s lacking are lashings of ginger beer.
Next Stage Youth has taken the unusual step of producing this comedy with three separate casts to give as many members as possible the chance to take a lead role.
I saw the second production, in which Poppy Harrison played Daisy, a poor but bright child who wins a scholarship to a posh gels’ school only to face snobbery and rejection.
She gave an exuberant performance that was supremely confident, the more so as this is a play within a play and the role requires frequent switches between speaking as narrator and being in character.
Her chum Trixie (Verity Ferris) was the perfect foil and together they created that whole giggly togetherness of best friends with humour and excellent timing.
Fiona Jamieson also gave a convincing portrayal of the “thoroughly piggy and nasty” snob Sybil.
The whole cast deserves praise for its assured way of keeping this comedy rollicking along; sure there was a fluffed line here or there and the antiquated language was occasionally a bit laboured, but mostly they all delivered.