A heartwarming and hilarious comedy delivered with aplomb and professionalism
The Saddleworth Constable by Martin Paul Roche
Review by Jane Lum
It’s always a treat to visit Saddleworth Players at the Millgate Arts Centre. Not only is it a gem of a little theatre in the heart of Delph, but the Players themselves are known to stretch the boundaries with a season that packs a punch with both modern and traditional plays. They also do not shy away from new material, and the 2026/27 Season opened with a premier of a play (so new it’s not yet in print) by local playwright Martin Roche.
Martin has a talent for quick fire comedy and this love story is both heartwarming and hilarious. Delivered with aplomb and professionalism, it was a treat from start to finish.
The story line is the return of a prodigal daughter of Saddleworth – Sandy, skilfully played by Miranda Parker – an artist turned art critic and journalist who escapes life and relationships in an apartment in Paris. Emotionally cut off and focussed on self and self-preservation she nonetheless returns home occasionally to reconnect with her mother and recharge. On this particular trip she crosses paths with a retired policeman, Steve, with a prodigious talent for landscapes who is being tutored, alongside a riotous bunch of women, by Sandy’s mother, Anne – a self-confessed old Trout, played with passion and vigour by Anne Wright. One thing leads quite naturally to another and we begin an emotional rollercoaster that takes in life drawing, internet sensation, break up and a heart lifting final scene.
The opening scene begins in a pop-up gallery in the village church hall, but, apart from a night out in a pub, which also uses the space at the front of the stage, the action is centred firmly in Anne’s country kitchen. The set, created by Chris Bannatyne and painted tastefully by John and Karel Lees and Frank Brown is so lovely, audience members were all saying they’d like it themselves. This is in part due to the country kitchen set dressing, so hats off to Sue Borg and Louise Clarke whose attention to detail transports us to a setting straight out of the pages of Country Living!
A lovely detail which added yet another dimension was the inclusion of paintings around the walls by the Saddleworth Group of artists. It enhanced the feel that Anne, the art tutor, was also a collector and connoisseur and gave an even more local feeling to the set.
Scenes moved swiftly on from each other and were aided by the clever use of lighting and the soundtrack which subtly echoed the drama. Good to hear 10CC’s Art for Art’s Sake being blasted from the speakers, along with Northern heroes The Kaiser Chiefs predicting a riot. A big shout out to the tech team, David Plowright on Lights and Andrew Mann on sound for supporting the action with appropriate tech.
During the play, references to Saddleworth abound, and much of the humour is derived from gentle digs about Yorkshire vs Greater Manchester, the culinary heritage (meat and potato pie vs deconstructed burgers and hummus). The humour chimed greatly with my fellow audience members, as one rapid one liner landed bang next to another, but Martin Roche is happy that the play could be transcribed to any other region or country, and that the same local prejudices can be applied to the same effect. At the end of the day, love stories are universal, and local pride is not to be sniffed at.
Taking clear pride in their craft were the team of actors delivering this modern drama. Jon Cockroft, the only man amidst the ‘coven’ braved exposure, both emotional and physical to bring Steve, a curmudgeonly local man to life. After a career in policing, and with a lonely and isolated childhood, Steve is cynical and navigating retirement on his own. His lifeline is the art class and the support of his newfound friends. He is both brittle and cynical and goes on quite an emotional awakening in Sandy’s presence. Jon delivers the rapid fire repartee with the assuredness of a standup comic and portrays Steve’s acceptance of love and friendship with an understated grandeur. We become extremely fond of this eccentric, creative soul and are prepared to accept his complete assurance that all ills in the world can be solved with the right flavour of crisps.
Sandy, on encountering Steve, is struck by his uncompromising attitude, his anarchic world view, and his unashamed love for all things Saddleworth. In him she finds the homecoming she’s always craved. Miranda Parker plays this brittle, self-determined but fragile individual to great effect. We see her journey from aloof to loving and are very much rooting for her success. Miranda shows great versatility in the portrayal, bringing warmth and humour to life from under the cold façade. The love story works because the key protagonists are well matched, humour for humour, passion for passion.
A great deal of the sheer, naughty fun in the play comes from Anne’s ebullient art class. Anne (Anne Wright) deftly controls the action and sets up the scenarios in which the three classmates can shine. Tracey Rontree, as Rachel, is feisty, funny and injects pace, volume and a punky warmth into the role. Likewise, Shirley Harrison as Karen is good natured and hilarious, sparring with the others and playing up her allotted role as Secretary of the Delph Swingers Association. Newcomer Jayne Connor brings a natural warmth and accomplishment to the role of Sharon. Art, coffee and adult conversation is her escape from a demanding household and lazy husband and we get the impression that she is loving every minute.
It’s not all fun and life models for the class, however, and they round on Sandy with fury at her perceived betrayal of Steve. Each actress switches from high jinks to high distain and distaste, showing both where their loyalty lies and their emotional depth as performers.
A master of this is Anne Wright, whose fury at her daughter is a keen contrast to her earlier and then later humility and kindness. She, like her daughter, is somewhat closed off and brittle (‘A Saddleworth Cow’ in Steve’s words) and quick to anger, but she is not above teasing the art class. Her conversation with ‘Dexter’ the American editor is a comedy masterclass.
None of the emotional depth can be teased out without strong direction, and Martin Roche, assisted by Rachel Harrison, are to be congratulated on delivering this warmhearted comedy with pace and skill.
A night at the Millgate is not complete without the warm welcome by the front of house staff, and by the bar staff getting into the swing of things with policemen’s helmets and special offers on beer and crisp twin packs. It’s become rather an immersive experience attending a show and shows the great love and team spirit used to bring community theatre to life.
Congratulations to everyone involved.