The October performance by the Jubilee Players of Georgina Read's 'Ladies of Spirit', directed by Libby Henshaw, provided an entertaining and amusing evening at the Tithe Barn.

The excellent set and scenery by Gay Lloyd reproduced a 1960s staff room at Gibraltar School, Hartmouth.

The basic plot was to prevent the headmistress, Miss Rowe, suitably portrayed by Cynthia Gosling, changing the traditional school style to one driven by the demands of the well-heeled parents of certain pupils. The school secretary, Sally Burgess, played by Ros Chamberlin, and teacher May Danvers, played by Sue Brodie, did their best to conspire with the headmistress to bring this change about.

The rest of the teachers, Mrs Thorpe, outspoken and laid back, played by Jayne Downing, Jane Cox, forthright, taking the high moral ground (Sue Brooks) and Miss Maudesley, a downtrodden remnant of past glories (Sue Blackburn), combined to prevent the Headteacher achieving her aims.

When it appeared that the headmistress was starting to get the upper hand, enter the ghosts of the Misses Pye, teachers from the past, excellently played by Carol White and Janie Neville, to create well meant havoc in support of past school standards.

Along the way, Mrs Emmett (Sue Phillips), mother of a pupil with real talent but the wrong background, gave the Headteacher a few home truths, plus a few other twists and turns, and you have the makings of an amusing evening.

The usual high standard from all the support people enabled the capacity audience to go home well satisfied.

JWN