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When
Neil Simon first chose to trial this work in Boston in 1970 it received
many disconcerting reviews, which in turn almost led to its instant
demise. However Simon's faith to persevere saw the play become critically
acclaimed on Broadway and it's still clear to see why even after
thirty four years.
This
piece deals with some dark issues but still offers Simon's excellent
one liners, reminiscent from his days as the key writer on Sergeant
Bilko. Lesley Joseph swept into the role of a former nightclub singer,
Evy Meara, fresh out of rehab for alcoholism and back into her tatty
apartment in New York. Her long suffering friends, Toby and Jimmy,
were on hand to assist her at first, but it was the arrival of her
teenage daughter that brought the play to life.
The
individual character introduction was brief but skillful, we instantly
knew that Evy was tender but the true depths of her despair were
yet to come. Jonathan Guy Lewis, as Jimmy, seemed to roam the stage
with a camp swagger that further endeared you to his plight to ensure
that Evy remained safe and dry. However, we were also invited to
understand that he too was suffering with a personal crisis of confidence
and his dreams of acting stardom where not materialising.
 Life
long friend Toby played by Miranda Foster, also had self identity
issues, which saw her beautifully dressed with perfect make up but
left her eager to hide the sign of aging. Her problems along with
Jimmy's and Evy's at first made for quick witted banter but in time
brought the issues of addiction, failure and denial to the fore
front.
Sinead
Keenan acted the role of Evy's seventeen year old daughter Polly
with typical teen angst mixed with genuine concern for her mothers
well being. Lesley Joseph, while showing glimpse of her previous
incarnation as Dorian from Birds of a Feather, was still powerful
in her attempt to dissuade her daughter's help. While it was clear
Polly's intentions were honourable, you were still left feeling
as though the initial bubble of hope was all about to burst.
With
the second act came the opportunity Joseph to demonstrate her fine
skills as Evy descended into grasp of her addiction. You could feel
the tension in the audience rise as Joseph lurched towards the wine
bottle with a satanic stare. She hit the bottle as those around
her also voiced their woeful tales of failure, all except Polly
who's sparing attempts to ease the rooms problems led to her own
failure. This eventually left her alone while her mother revisited
her miserable past with the help of her inner demons.
There
is always one person who by the interval the entire audience wishes
would seek the attentions of a cough specialist. When the curtain
dropped for the interval I realised that shameful accolade belonged
to me. I had managed to asthmatically wheeze throughout the most
tense of theatrical stand offs, partly through the intensity of
the production but also caused by the on set of Man flu. This is
possibly the most serious of the flu like illnesses to affect the
theatre, mainly due to man's inability to cough quickly or quietly.
In
the final short act we were shown the aftermath of the previous
night, revealing some dark home truths. As Evy unveiled a corking
shiner, her hangover wisdom provides Toby with a genuine solution
to her problem. But the reappearance of Polly reignited the tense
atmosphere on stage and also in the auditorium.
There
were times where I began to feel the dark underbelly of the play
effected my interpretation of the work. I wondered whether to feel
guilt or sorrow for the extreme level of addiction that Joseph's
character portrayed. But the true power of Neil Simon's play led
me to question my own addictions and therefore I believe to unveil
its real power.
In
coming weeks we will be treated to another Neil Simon classic as
London Suite arrives at Milton Keynes. If this production can offer
the same level of competency as The Gingerbread Lady, then we can
expect another brilliant night out.
Read
our interview with Lesley Joseph>>
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