by Martin Giles

The stage crew at the Yvonne Arnaud will be making sure the technical hitch at Monday's performance will be fixed for the rest of the run of the play Neighbourhood Watch.

The plot of the play running at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre this week is based on the everyday story of the setting up of a Neighbourhood Watch team.

Events get a little out of hand, resulting in the fatal shooting of the main character, a gnome lover, by the police who had mistaken the statue of Jesus he was carrying for a weapon.

All this proceeded without mishap on Monday night, and the play moved to its final scene, the funeral. A black curtain descended from above the stage and a spotlight shone. Some movement of a large object could be discerned behind the curtain and then a twang. The extremities of something large and golden, bobbing up and down, could be made out as a taped speech started and then stopped abruptly.

A stage hand, trying to appear nonchalant, came on to the stage but after a quick inspection beat a hasty retreat leaving the single member of the cast still on stage, helplessly staring hard at the scene, uncertain what to do. Then the black curtain was raised back up leaving the tip of the mysterious object, still gently bobbing, just visible. Suddenly at this point the entire cast emerged as if nothing was amiss and lined up to take a bow. The show must go on – or, in fact, the show must end. Sadly, they  received only muted applause from a perplexed audience, still unsure what had happened.

A spokeswoman for the theatre later explained: "Unfortunately the theatre company manager from Scarborough called the set change at the wrong point which resulted in a fly wire tangle and the loss of the visual joke of a large golden gnome being awarded, to end the show. "

Some tickets are still available for remaining performances this week. Why not go and check there are gnome more mistakes!

Box office: 01483 440000  or click here to book online.

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