'Reeling' a full success
For reasons which are documented earlier, the Diary was unable to attend the Heritage Group's 'Reeling in The Capers' night last week, as the group's contribution to National Heritage Week.
However, there are good reports that it went off very well, to a packed house. The evening, which involved recollection, reenactment and a lot of good old-fashioned storytelling, was moderated by John Martin.
The reminiscences of the panel, by all accounts, triggered interaction from the audience throughout the evening.
"Practically everyone there had some connection with someone who was involved in Capers," Bernard Berney told us. "And every time a panelist told a story, there were immediate additions to it from some member or other in the audience."
Bernard said it was clear that the event was a one-off, that it couldn't have been repeated even one further night because most of the discussion was spontaneous, a characteristic which would not have been there on a second 'performance'.
"Even the reenactments of some of the elements of the original 'Capers' were occasionally shambolic and clearly underrehearsed," he said, though admitting that this may have added to the charm.
And even to the authenticity, as your editor can recall several shambolic moments in the original performances through the 70s.
'Reeling in The Capers' had to be done. And now it is done.
A DVD will eventually be available, though Bernard Berney reckons that, however good it is, it will not be able to recreate the atmosphere on the night.
Brian Byrne.
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