IT was great to be back at Moot House in The Stow to be reviewing MHP Theatre.

On Friday night, they presented a play called The Bureau of Unsent Letters. Written by Jack and Eve-Marie Florence Downey.

The audience had braved Storm Eunice and they were rewarded with a wonderfully varied and entertaining performance.

In many ways, there were two parts to this play.

There was the bureau that “The Rookie” Helen Rees had just joined. It was her job to read the unsent letters.

The office had an eighties theme. This reviewer may have missed the reason for it or even the relevance but as it involved the audience hearing (among many others) New Order’s Blue Monday and Japan’s Quiet Life, this university student (1981-1985) was quite happy.

There was also a number of dance numbers that were simply great fun.

At the heart of the play was the recitation of the letters by the MHP company. YH has been reviewing MHP for close to nine years and has missed performances by these fine actors.

Always good to see Chris Millington on stage and it was his second letter “Dear Comrade” that was particularly poignant. Chris has such a delicate touch as an actor. He can touch the line between pathos and comedy so well. It is harder than it sounds.

Each letter had a different character and tone all of its own. There were the straight comedic ones such as Dear Mrs Dewsberry by Mike Rees as well as To the parents…by Myles Lovell. They were not the strongest of letters but they were very well acted.

Frances Donovan’s reading of Dear Heather was dark but very well read. It was also good to see so many good actors commanding the stage and drawing you in. The quality here was every letter was different and every performance was different as well.

The best musical number (apart from Raining Men) was Melissa Jones outstanding rendition of Slipping Through My Fingers. Melissa really did make an under-rated ABBA song her own.

There was dark humour in Dear Manager by husband and wife team, Steve and Frances Donovan. Lovely timing and well delivered.

There was great competition for scene-stealers. Jack Downey had a few attempts with his DJ, his dancing but especially his Dear Points of View.

He had competition with the evergreen Michael Branwell, who tore up the scenery (and perhaps the script) with his three letters. Michael has such great comic timing and really feeds off an audience.

Some of the letters left you to reflect. That was the case with the performances by both Joan Lanario and Linda Helm-Manley. They held your attention and were very thought-provoking.

Having concentrated on the letters, praise must also be given to the office scenes, which helped the pace of the play.

It must be very hard, when you have been away for close to two years, to try and present a play that brings in all the members and give them a proper spotlight.

Credit must also be given to the manager, Eve-Marie Florence Downey, who displayed so much character and energy (as well as in her letter to her future husband) and the rookie, Helen Rees, whose best work was actually where no spotlight was on her but she was reading the letters.

In the end, this was great fun. It had great energy and in many ways embodied what local theatre should be.

We are blessed in Harlow with so many different theatre groups. It is not like this in every town (just ask Thurrock).

Well done to all those, on stage and off for bringing MHP Theatre back to Moot House.

At time of writing: One performance left: Details

https://mhptheatre.com