Arthur Berry was a legend in Stoke-on-Trent. Not only was he one of the Potteries’ most famous artists of the 20th century, he was also an accomplished playwright.
He wrote six plays, five of which were staged at the old Victoria Theatre and a sixth which was the opening production at the New Vic in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
A seventh play, written in 1988, was gathering dust until the theatre-in-the-round decided it would be a suitable work to produce as part of Arthur Berry 100. That’s a year-long celebration of his contribution to Potteries art and culture through performances, exhibitions and other events.
Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt is set in the 1950s and tells the story of a young woman who’s not content with her life working in a meat market. She wants glamour and adventure, the sort she can get by becoming the assistant to entertainer Cyril Pepper.
When the duo—unsurprisingly called Pepper and Salt—get an invitation to a talent show with a television spot as the first prize, Phoebe thinks this will be her passport to freedom. But of course nothing is that simple...
Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt marks the professional stage debut of Isabella Rossi in the lead role. And what an astonishingly good performance the third-year student at Guildford School of Acting gives.
She’s excellent as the rebellious youngster who feels a need for excitement and enjoys the adulation when she’s on stage. She gains understanding for her desire to live a different life from her strait-laced parents. And the audience empathises with her reluctance to commit to a relationship with her supposed fiancé Arnold in case she gets the chance to fulfil her dream. It’s a promising debut; Isabella Rossi is a name to look out for.
There are several noteworthy depictions in Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt. Alasdair Baker and Laura Costello impress as Phoebe’s parents. Baker as Sammy is the old-fashioned patriarch who struggles with relationships and prefers his pigs to people. Costello as Nellie can’t accept that Phoebe won’t settle for a mundane existence.
New Vic regular Andrew Pollard is delightful as cabaret performer Cyril Pepper who can’t decide what to do for their talent show spot. His rehearsal with Phoebe isn’t funny in itself—but Pollard performs it so well that the audience can’t help but laugh.
Elliot Goodhill revels in the part of Arnold Winkle, Phoebe’s boyfriend with unquestioned loyalty; Tracy Ann Wood is tremendously supportive of her sister Nellie and doesn’t lose face despite being the local gossip who finds out everything that’s going on; and Perry Moore obviously enjoys playing Gerry Dewsnap, the swaggering womanizer with no morals.
The first half can appear a little slow as Berry introduces the characters and illustrates how tough life was in the Potteries at that time. The second half races along, with director Abbey Wright extracting the maximum tension from the piece. You may be able to guess the ending, but that doesn’t minimise its unsettling effect.
Most of the cast of Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt have connections to the Potteries, which adds to the sense of realism. There’s little doubt the play wouldn’t have the same impact outside Stoke-on-Trent. But it shows why Arthur Berry was so revered in his home town. The New Vic definitely took the correct decision in staging its première.