Questors 2025 Season Opens with a Comedic Masterpiece
by Gemma McDonald
Questor’s 2025 season is being kicked off with Bill Macilwraith’s comedic play “The Anniversary”. The play tells the story of an overly possessive mother on the night of her wedding anniversary. The play tackles the dysfunctional relationships between the mother and her sons and their partners that ultimately lead to an entire breakdown of the whole family. The play is spurred on by the strong female characters who work to detach the sons from their unhealthy relationships with their mother.
The production is directed by Russell Fleet, a Questors member since 2006. With experience in over 60 productions across roles like Stage Manager, Sound Designer, and Costumer, Russell takes on the director's chair for the seventh time with this show.
The lead of the play, Mum, is played by Questors’ Despina Sellar. She has been a member of the theatre since 2018 when she appeared in Sleepers in the Field. Since then, she has appeared in productions such as Sara Sampson and Gaslight. This is the first opportunity Despina has had to be a lead antagonist. She is a huge driving force behind the play, and her forever looming presence builds the tension in just the right way. Her performance is powerful, emotional, and incredibly believable.
Perfectly partnering her performance are the other two female leads (Shirley and Karen), performed by Caitlyn Vary and Sherralyn. Caitlyn has been a member of Questors since she was in the youth theatre, and she has since performed in productions of Snow White and Robin Hood. Sherralyn has been performing with Questors alongside other companies since graduating from the student group in 2010. They both deliver brilliantly strong performances in these powerful female roles, each seizing moments to confront the antagonist (Mum) and propel the family's breakdown.
Although the play is set in 1966, it subverts traditional gender roles: the female characters are portrayed as strong and independent, while the male characters appear comparatively submissive. Brothers Henry, Terry, and Tom are played in this production by Craig Nightingale, Mike Hadjipateras, and Ed Clements. While Craig and Mike are both longstanding members of the theatre, this is Ed’s Questors stage debut, though he has performed in other productions at The Bridewell Theatre and The Etcetera Theatre since graduating from LAMDA. They each give great performances in the show, and their comedic timing really adds to the production.
The comedic nature of the play offsets the serious themes within the story and makes it a truly enjoyable experience. Craig Nightingale (Henry) embodies the quintessential mummy’s boy, serving as the primary source of comedic relief. His performance is incredibly funny and plays a key role in reinforcing the play's humour.
The Anniversary is a captivating production that skilfully balances humour with family drama. Despina Sellar shines as the domineering Mum, supported by Caitlyn Vary and Sherralyn, who add depth to the complex relationships. The male cast brings excellent comedic relief, with Craig Nightingale standing out as the endearing Henry. With its sharp humour and subversion of traditional gender roles, Questors delivers a thought-provoking and entertaining start to its 2025 season.