REVIEW

THE NATIONAL TRUST FAN CLUB

CORN EXCHANGE, DORCHESTER

FLYING the flag for the National Trust (NT) in this entertaining and immersive one woman show was comedian Helen Wood.

She took us on a whirlwind tour of the country in her quest to visit every NT property in the UK and become the Trust's biggest super fan.

There were plenty of amusing in-jokes for those of us who were current members, lifelong members or *boo* lapsed members of the NT. There were even some cheeky jokes aimed at the volunteers from Max Gate in the audience as Wood told us of her attempts to evade the 'over-enthusiastic' volunteers secreted in every room at Gothic revival home Tyntesfield in Somerset - "Don't make eye contact, just don't make eye contact!"

Where the comedy in the show really excelled was the subtle humour, such as Wood's bemused expression as she picked up and removed a teasel from the chair sat on - a familiar and charmingly passive aggressive prop for those of us who frequent the Trust's many ornate homes.

The romp around the country accompanied by a slideshow of Wood sporting comical expressions at NT properties with her husband and black Labrador in the background, reminded me of a Bill Bryson book brought to life.

There was a poll of how we like our scones and plenty of historical fact thrown in with a localised Dorset section and quiz on Max Gate, which saw members of the audience pitted against each other with a buzzer.

This was an evening well spent in the company of a woman whose enthusiasm for the National Trust has made this, whisper it, lapsed member, want to re-enter the fold.

JOANNA DAVIS