UK Theatre Network

The Unrest Cure

Simon Godziek & Rob Groves

Pentameters Theatre

8^th November- 26^th November- Viewed on 24^th November

‘A wonderful comic collection of misunderstandings and delicious play-on-words’

Called one of London’s ‘Best Kept Secrets’, the Pentameters Theatre is introduced to me by a local chap as a “quaint and intimate” theatre, which makes it a great choice of venue to house the World Premiere of this relaxed and warm-hearted comedy.  I’m welcomed by Leonie Scott-Matthews, founder of the Theatre (and also playing comic token character, Mrs. Thomas), and travel up some stairs and down the corridor to a charming 1930’s living room. The homey touches of the studio, previously the old billiard-room, add to this set’s character; leaving you with the feeling that you’ve entered the Sea View Hotel, where our play is set, rather than a carefully constructed stage. The grand scale of the set draws in the audience, and the sound of Peggy Lee, invokes nostalgic images of high tea and sounds of drawing-room banter.

The play is homage to the quintessential British playwright, PG Wodehouse, and the light-hearted punchy prose works well. A nice touch is the play’s attempt to also address today’s audience with witty satirical asides about current politics. With a packed house, the interest in this world premiere is evident. The opening action of the play takes place on-board a train compartment on the way to the Sea View Hotel.  Kind-hearted James and Hotel Owner Ernest are friends who are discussing Ernest’s predicament of feeling trapped within his mundane routine. An ‘Unrest Cure’ is the amusing solution suggested, but it is soon passed off as nonsense.

Unbeknownst to them, their conversation is overheard by mischievous brother and sister pairing, Virginia and Charlie, who take it upon themselves to administer this plan to further their own amusement. What follows is a series of wonderfully setup trials- planned and unplanned- that collectively make this play a wonderful comic collection of misunderstandings and delicious play-on-words.

In the style of Wodehouse, the characters are good yet eccentric personas, which each carry endearing and funny traits. Ernest and Cecilia can be looked upon as the stuck-in-a-rut self-created victims, who innocently succumb to the tricksters, Virginia and Charlie. The latter characters have a warm-hearted concern at the heart of their enjoyment and their jubilant personas add great energy. James works brilliantly as the hard-done-by accomplice, who tells animated stories of past missions. Edward’s presence provides laugh-out-loud brutal honesty, which is in stark contrast to his obsession with war.

A varied and professional cast bring the light-hearted quips to life and engage the audience with thoughtfully-crafted characters. Time well spent. I find that ‘delicate’ acting always requires special praise, and that praise must go to the whole cast for maintaining truth of feeling- a considerable feat under the pressure of close proximity to the audience. Some notable beautiful moments include Virginia’s simple yet expressive marvelling of James’ love (mesmerising), the utter misery of Ernest and comic pathos of Cecila are keenly felt and yet hopelessly funny. We are also treated to a very accomplished piano solo, enhancing the mood of the scene to genuine glamour.

I feel unrest considering the fact that Simon and Rob have a new project in the pipeline, and all we can do is wait until we hear more.

Pentameters Theatre
28 Heath Street
Entrance Oriel Place
Hampstead
London NW3 6TE

Telephone 020 7435 3648
Email theatre@pentameters.co.uk
Box Office Bookings 020 7435 3648

One of the most prominent Boltonians of recent years was steeplejack, steam enthusiast and all-round Lancashire character Fred Dibnah, much loved for his television programmes celebrating engineering, Victorian architecture and the vanishing remains of the industrial revolution.  So it’s only appropriate that a dramatisation of his life by local writer Aelish Michael should receive its world premiere at Bolton Octagon.

 By focussing on Fred’s last decade the structure of the drama is almost ready-made.  We meet Fred at his lowest point, having just divorced wife number two and lost custody of his young sons.  The last thing he needs is to hear that his TV series isn’t being re-commissioned.  Concerned friends Malc, Keith and Bert realise things are serious when Fred can’t even summon up the energy to fettle his steam engine.  But then glamorous magician’s assistant Sheila enters Fred’s life and casts a spell that reinvigorates both him and his career.

 The first half of this play is hilarious, with typical down-to-earth Lancashire characters and delightful wordplay rooted in the local vernacular.  And the courtship of Sheila in the shed is the most unlikely wooing scene since Richard III got it together with Lady Anne over the corpse of her late father-in-law.

 Colin Connor’s Fred is the spitting image of the man – the facial likeness is uncanny, the voice is precise, he even captures the waddling gait.  And if there is something a bit cartoon like about him it only adds to the comedy, although it’s slightly less successful in the play’s poignant second half.

 By way of contrast, Michelle Collins’s take on Mrs Dibnah The Third is a naturalistic portrayal of a lively and attractive woman who cares passionately for her husband.  Michelle Collins is excellent in all facets of the role and steals the show by becoming the heroine of the story.

 Mike Burnside as Fred’s golden-hearted pal Bert and John Mcardle as the Machiavellian silver fox Malc are also memorable and multi-layered.

 James Cotterill’s design feels like being in a real engineering works, partly because of the authentic accumulation of clutter and junk on stage, and partly due to the vast sense of space he creates above and behind the playing area.  Joe Stathers-Tracey’s video projections shown on three screens high above the stage make for an arresting and original opening when Fred descends from the gods on a rackety ladder in the middle of a storm – a truly dramatic moment. 

 Like a precision engineer, director David Thacker has fettled a believable world for this very local story – one the press night audience seemed to relate to very strongly.  No doubt this will be as big a success for the Octagon as their smash hit And did Those Feet.

 The Demolition Man is on at Bolton Octagon until Saturday 7 May 2011

Tickets: from £9.50

Performances: Mon-Sat @ 7.30

Matinees: Fri 8, Sat 16, Wed 20 Apr, Wed 4, Sat 7 May @ 2pm 

Box Office: 01204 520661

www.octagonbolton.co.uk

This Royal Exchange world premiere reunites Oscar-nominated actress Brenda Blethyn with director Braham Murray and designer Simon Higlett after their highly acclaimed collaboration on The Glass Menagerie last year.

Haunted is by distinguished Irish writer Edna O’Brien, perhaps best known for her novels, although equally at home scripting television, film and theatre.  In fact Haunted began life as a 1963 TV play starring Cyril Cusack, and in a nice coincidence his grand-daughter Beth Cooke plays one of the three characters in this stage translation.

Mr Berry, a semi-retired house-husband in London’s suburbia, becomes infatuated with Hazel, a young elocution teacher with an interest in vintage clothing.  Immediately smitten on their first chance encounter, he keeps luring her back to his house by “donating” items from his wife’s wardrobe.  Poor Mrs Berry, meantime, spends her days working in a doll factory and has no idea that her treasured possessions are being plundered, although she senses there’s something going wrong with her marriage (again).

As Mr Berry is the central character and narrator it’s impossible not to compare him with William Hazlitt, whose semi-autobiographical novel Liber Amoris is also a first-person account of the male menopause and its obsessions, passions and madness.  Although Niall Buggy is blithe and ingratiating, pottering around in his comfy carpet slippers and aspirational bow-tie, the audience can never experience his point of view as the reader of a book would: we only see his folly rather than share his hope.

Beth Cooke, who has just received a commendation from the Ian Charleson award panel for her performance in the Exchange’s production Three Sisters last autumn, brings a genuine sense of innocence and guilelessness to Hazel, as well as a detachment that is always at odds with any amorous ambitions Mr Berry might have.

Although the play is Mr Berry’s, the evening belongs to Mrs Berry.  Brenda Blethyn is brilliant as the frowsy, fussy, lower-middle-class factory worker who still cares passionately about her man and her marriage.  She manages to be comic, tragic, irritating and sympathetic all at once, and makes the audience long as much as she does for a happy ending – hers, not her husband’s.  This wonderful depiction is ably aided by the design, costume and wig departments - the cut-off raincoat and silk headscarf nail her era and class at a glance, and the immaculately-coloured helmet-like coiffeur seems made to withstand any marital storm.  Moreover, after spending all day on her stilettoed feet Mrs Berry doesn’t instantly kick off her shoes as she walks through the door like a mere mortal would, but instead reclines sensuously into the armchair, a domesticated Cleopatra, daintily sipping a glass of Madeira.  What a woman!  Mr Berry clearly doesn’t deserve her.

Haunted is on until Saturday 13 June 2009

Prices: £8.50-£29.00

Evenings: Mon-Fri @ 7.30pm, Sat @ 8pm

Matinees: Wed @ 2.30pm, Sat @ 4pm

Box Office: 0161 833 9833

www.royalexchange.co.uk