26/07/11

I am always wary of seeing a show late on in the run – the reviews become unavoidable and I find myself going into the theatre with a preconceived idea about whether I’m going to enjoy this. So it was with trepidation that I booked a later ticket to see One Man Two Guvnors at the Lyttleton.

Written by Carlo Goldoni in 1746, Richard Bean has updated the classic farce and set it in 1960’s Brighton, combining commedia dell’arte with traditional British slapstick humour. Any attempts to describe the storyline of this would be futile, but the general jist is that our harlequin, Francis Henshall, takes on two jobs in a bid to get enough money for a hot meal – One, Rachel Crabbe, is disguised as her dead twin, Roscoe and the other, public school twit Stanley Stubbins, is on the run from the police after killing the aforementioned Roscoe.

That’s about as easy as it gets in terms of plot – the story twists and turns at such breakneck speed that it’s sometimes difficult to keep up – but it all becomes irrelevant when faced with such chaos on stage.

James Corden as Henshall is a delight, and makes the slapstick and physical humour seem easy. There is something about his acting style that makes you immediately warm to him: his charisma is infectious, and within moments of his appearance on stage, we are on his side. There are moments of glorious fun as he attempts to control the chaos around him, while all the time trying to simply get a good meal. Corden’s comic timing is impeccable, and his physicality only adds to his fantastic performance.

 Timing is not his only asset here though, as we see him improvise and banter with the audience at various intervals, perhaps most notably in this performance when he brings up two bearded men from the audience to assist him, and the moment where he asked the audience in desperation “does anyone have a sandwich?” ; if only because the latter threw a spanner in the works when a polite audience member actually offered him a homous sandwich.

Corden is supported by a fantastic cast, all of whom meet the demands of this script with aplomb. Personal favourites were Oliver Chris as Stanley – an arrogant public school twit who has some cracking lines and a dead ringer for Hugh Laurie’s character ‘Percy’ in Blackadder. Daniel Rigby is also gloriously over the top as Alan Dangle, who wants to be an actor and has figured out a way to live his life that is appropriate to that dream.

The classic of commedia dell’arte, the climactic banquet served to different offstage dinner parties while the harlequin snaffles his own grub from their menus is treated about as traditionally as you can imagine, and Hytner has done a spectacular job here – even improving the original version. Alfie the octogenarian waiter is a new character, and is magnificently played by Tom Edden.  Corden rushes back and forth in a whirlwind of food and wine, while Alfie, the alarmingly decrepit butler is put upon in a variety of ways, being slammed into doors, thrown down the stairs, and very nearly killed by a cork.

I realise as I am writing this that it is less of a review and more of a description of the best bits – I don’t think there can be any higher praise than that. I was so full of joy and glee at watching these that any thought of criticism left my mind immediately. Instead, I was sucked into this silly situation and laughed uproariously at every twist and turn.

While the second act does not shine as brightly as the first, as Kenneth Tynan said of the Broadway premiere of Gypsy, the show tails off into mere brilliance. There is more than a whiff of Noises Off here, and I am certain that this show will also have the endurance of Frayn’s 1980’s farce. I’m delighted that this is transferring to the West End, and urge you to see it – there is something here for everyone to enjoy and, despite being based on an Italian style, this show made me feel very proud to be British.

Running Time – 2hours 50 minutes (if you’re on a time limit – allow a bit more in case of extreme ad-libbing!)

Programmes: £3, Ice cream: £3 – don’t normally have an ice cream but by gum this stuff was lovely! Highly recommend the mango sorbet.

If you enter a theatre to find a four-man band (one on a wash board) playing sixties-style songs , you know you’re in for a treat. Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors is perhaps the funniest play in London this summer. It is no surprise that Nicholas Hytner’s production is already a huge hit, with a tour and West End run already announced.

Based on Carlo Goldoni’s 18th century A Servant of Two Masters, Bean creates a play clearly influenced by Commedia del’Arte which is structured like a traditional farce and looks like an end-of-the-pier show. This is comedy for everyone created in the most sophisticated of ways.

It’s a typically convoluted, absurd farcical set-up. Francis Henshall (James Cordon) bites of more than he can chew, taking on the job of servant for two separate employers. One is posh-boy Stanley Stubbers (Oliver Chris) and the other his girlfriend Rachel Crabbe (Jemima Rooper), masquerading as her brother. It goes without saying that much hilarity ensues.

Hyner’s direction revels in theatricality, supporting the self-awareness of Bean’s script, which is riddled with jokes for the geeks among us. Cal McCrystal’s comic business gives us a laugh pretty much every minute, involving everything from slapstick to unashamed punning, visiting audience participation and toilet humour along the way. Grant Olding’s sixties music, played by The Craze, injects even more joy into proceedings.

A strong cast manages to portray modern-day equivalents of the stock characters with ease. Daniel Rigby and Claire Lams are suitably sickening as the lovers, with Chris and Rooper providing a refreshing contrast. Tom Edden also manages to steal an entire scene as the doddery Alfie at the end of Act One, while Cordon commands both stage and audience, with elements of the harlequin and the human coming through in equal measure. He’s got his mojo back.

This is a sold-out production, but you should do anything you can to find a ticket. Mark Thompson’s stylishly old fashioned set alone is worth the ticket price, and you will be rolling in the aisles throughout (an impressive feat, considering the Lyttelton is devoid of thoroughfares). Just see it. You won’t be disappointed.

Whenever a sold-out play is garlanded with the sort of critical superlatives that lead to lengthy queues forming at the box office come returns time, there’s always the worry that it’s going to be a case of hype over delivery. In the case of Nicholas Hytner’s new staging of Richard Bean’s loose adaption of Goldoni’s One Servant, Two Masters, there is no such cause for concern. This blissfully, at times hysterically, funny evening at the theatre rehabilitates James Corden from the obnoxious self-parody that he seemed mired in, offers a clutch of some of the best supporting performances anywhere on stage in ages, and shows (after the similarly giddy London Assurance) that the Hytner/Bean team-up produces some of the best comedy to be had anywhere on the London stage.

Bean relocates Goldoni’s original to 1963 Brighton, which leads to on-stage skiffle, an amusing evocation of the criminal underworlds of there and London, and a similarly convoluted plot. It boils down to Francis (Corden), a cheerful, limited and permanently hungry sort who finds himself working simultaneously for two employers, a young woman disguised as her dead twin brother and a public-school Hooray Henry who killed her brother but is also madly in love with the aforementioned young woman. Throw in an aspiring actor called Alan (because his first name, Orlando, was already taken by another Equity member), an 87 year old waiter, a Latin-spouting solicitor and a proto-feminist who eagerly awaits the first female PM ‘because she’ll be gentle, and kind, and humane’, and the scene is set for an evening’s hilarity.

What’s so endearing about this is the warmth and looseness to proceedings. There is a great deal of ad-libbing and improv, mostly from Corden, who shows after all that he’s a natural comedian. A typical example went something like this the night I went:

CORDEN: I’m so starving, I could eat any sort of sandwich. Meat, fish, even a nice bit of cheese…

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I’ve got a sandwich. You’re perfectly welcome to it.

CORDEN: Well, that had to happen one night. (Pauses for laughter). What flavour is it?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Hummus.

CORDEN: (Disbelievingly) Hummus?!

Followed by merry gales of generous hilarity. It’s not all entirely like this – the great scene at the end of Act 1, in which Francis serves two meals simultaneously to both his guvnors, aided and abetted by the ancient waiter, ends on a note that’s both brilliantly unexpected and apparently rather cruel – but what strikes one most about this show is the openness of spirit that it displays. Oliver Chris’ near-genius Stanley Stubbers, the Wodehousian silly-ass who lusts after his disguised lover, gets most of the wittiest and funniest lines, at times coming on like an updated cousin of Hugh Laurie’s George in Blackadder. But there isn’t a weak link in the entire cast, even down to Lloyd Boateng as an ex-con chef who thinks back, wistfully, to his glory days at Parkhurst nick.

It’s very much sold out, although a West End transfer is planned for the autumn. (Heaven knows whether this will involve the likes of Corden and Chris.) There’s an NT live screening in September, but I don’t think that seeing this via a cinema screen will convey the full burlesque hilarity. Instead, I recommend queuing for returns and hoping that your luck’s in. The evening is more than worth it.

One Man, Two Guvnors is one of those shows where it pays to arrive early to make the most of pre-production entertainment. Musical interludes run through the show, often during set changes, and feature some virtuoso performances by some of the leading cast members – Daniel Rigby on chest slapping and Oliver Chris on air horns being particularly memorable.

This is an extremely slick production and the cast all play their roles very well – Oliver Chris as Stanley being the stand-out performance for me. There is audience participation and slapstick galore. At the centre of it all is a rather dim-witted (and permanently hungry) Francis Henshall juggling two new jobs – James Corden clearly enjoying the role but I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that I was watching James Corden play… James Corden.

If farce is your thing then you will love this. I’m the first to admit that farce is really not my thing – I am always ready to move on to the next joke far sooner than the playwright has finished with the last one.

Now, I think The National has been on fire this year (and I don’t mean the kind in your nether regions after you had a one-nighter with a fringe director). I still can’t get over how brilliant ‘London Road‘ is, or how epic ‘Emperor & Galilean‘. But ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’? Well, I wasn’t racing out to see a theatre full of chavs waiting for ‘that fat guy from telly’ to come on stage.

But when _____ offered… well, let’s be honest, I never say ‘no’. To anything. So back to the National I went, preparing myself for a meaningless Sunday matinee.

Speaking of which, how brilliant are Sunday matinees?! I LOVE them.

“I’d do Corden in a heartbeat after seeing this show!”

To say the ensemble are brilliant is beyond overstatement. There is a genuine mix of comedic styles and delivery here that make each & every person on stage uniquely funny. The musical interludes add to the general mood. And it isn’t till a few hours after you’ve left the theatre do you think back and realise just how masterfully you’ve been taken for a glorious ride (or in my case, as I was being taken for a mediocre ‘ride’, I had plenty of time to dissect the play). The comedy is planned out so perfectly. Gags are built up over scenes, in some cases acts. And while I don’t want to ruin some of the brilliant surprises this show has in store, the stage is set from the moment you walk into the theatre.

There is a lot of physical comedy in the play (and on the West End in general at the moment… I’m thinking primarily of Tennant/Tate ‘Much Ado…’), and it is supplemented by ample doses of word-play, situation comedy, farce and even a few good gags for the theatrically educated (Corden’s speech at the beginning of Act 2, a primer on comedia dell’art is well played). And Corden’s ad-libbing is viscerally hysterical.

This is a cast (including Oliver Chris, a personal favourite. Grrrrrr) that is obviously relishing the prospect of making utter fools out of themselves each & every night and it shows. The audience laps it up, and rightly so.

My make-up was ruined by the amount of laughing and crying I did. Who needs pilates?!

I like a man who can make me laugh (isn’t that what we always say?), and I’d do Corden in a heartbeat after seeing this show!

I guess my only fear is that I’d come back for more do discover the show was a one-trick pony (and all the moments I thought were genuine, were staged) but my god it’s a fabulous trick!

Rating: Flat on back, leg’s wide open, with laughter.

Richard Bean has successfully transferred Carlo Goldoni’s commedia dell’arte comedy to the National Theatre Olivier’s stage.  The play is moved seamlessly from Venice in the 1740s to Brighton in the 1960’s.

The evermore chaotic plot circles around Goldoni’s Truffaldino, Bean’s newly christened Francis Henshall (James Corden) the joker in the tale, who finds himself to be working for two “guvnors”. The first is Rachel Crabbe (Jemima Rooper), disguised as her dead twin who was in fact killed by her boyfriend. The other govner is indeed, and most unfortunately for Henshall, Rachel’s boyfriend, snooty public school boy Stanley Stubbers (Oliver Chris). Neither is aware of the other’s presence in Brighton and a great deal of the comedy arises from Henshall’s elaborate attempts to keep each guvnor in the dark and himself fed.

What makes this rather traditional, predictable comedy shine is the seamless combination of verbal and physical humour. The text is full of one-liners and running gags. Of particular note is the dinner scene. Triffaldino / Henshall runs back and forth in an ever greater frenzy between his two employers all the while trying to eat as much of the food as possible himself. In between totters the octogenarian waiter (Tom Edden) whose performance of instability is brilliant.

Corden is back at the National with director Hytner for the first time since 2004 when he shone in The History Boys. Despite harbouring some doubts regarding Corden, he gave an impressive performance that even included audience involvement. On the preview night, when asking (probably rhetorically) where he should take Dolly (Suzi Toase) on a first date, someone in the second row shouted “Somewhere with tablecloths” to which Corden sharply replied, “Hang around after the show and we’ll use your shirt”.

While Corden is the undoubtedly the paper chewing, hunger motivated, attention seeking focus of the plot, he is surrounded by strong performances. Chris plays the twit Stanley’s public school arrogance to clichéd perfection. Daniel Rigby’s would-be actor is spot on. Suzi Toase plays the redheaded secretary right on the edge between a hard headed woman and a lady in love. Her comedic timing is impeccable.

What really brings this joyful performance to life is the musical interludes led by composer Grant Olding. Walking into a theatre filled by swinging sets the scene for fun. The following solos by the principal members of cast gives a feeling that everyone is here to have a good time and helps the nearly three hour show fly by.

Mark Thompson’s set design feels like the scene of a Brighton post card come to life. The numerous scene changes keep the story fresh and alive.

This is not something new. Many of these gags were already done in Noises Off. It is not an outstanding, exemplary production, however it is great fun and you will leave with a smile on your face and feel you have indeed enjoyed an entertaining evening at the theatre.

Following its run at the National, One Man, Two Guvnors will go on tour, visiting Theatre Royal, Plymouth (October 4 – 8); The Lowry, Salford (October 11 – 15); New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (October 18 – 22); and King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (October 25 – 29).

The Rose Theatre in Kingston is the stage for one of theatre’s most hotly anticipated reunions, that of Dame Judi Dench and legendary director Peter Hall.  Forty-eight years after first collaborating on Shakespeare’s masterpiece, in this revival of A Midsummer Night’s Dream the fairy queen Titania is reimagined as a portrait of the ageing Queen Elizabeth I, realised in regal grace by Dench.

Dench’s presence instantly fills the stage from the moment she enters, able to command the audience without even uttering a word, and when she does speak it is in such rhythmic, caressing tones that you feel she was born to deliver Shakespearean verse.  This cleverly judged performance is perfectly balanced between majestic power and the girlish delight of her misplaced enchantment with Oliver Chris’s hilarious Bottom.  Never have I seen a Titania quite so radiant and utterly besotted.

Dench is clearly the highlight of this production, but that is not to ignore the excellent performances of the rest of the cast.  Oliver Chris is outstanding as overly enthusiastic aspiring thespian Bottom, provoking an eruption of laughter from the audience in Pyramus’s gloriously over-the-top death scene.  He has brilliant support from the other mechanicals, particularly Leon Williams’ Flute, who is uproarious in the final act as Thisbe.

Reece Ritchie’s mischievous, child-like Puck fizzles with uncontainable energy, leaping around the stage with infectious joy, whilst Charles Edwards is a commanding Oberon.  The lovers too deliver solid and enjoyable performances, with Rachael Stirling’s Helena standing out in particular.  She brings to the role both vulnerability and defiance, carefully treading the line between comedy and true poignancy.

The Rose Theatre, with its layout based on the original Rose Theatre on Bankside that played host to several of Shakespeare’s plays, is the ideal setting for this very Elizabethan incarnation of the play.  The 900 seat venue, with its curving, semi-circular seating arrangement, has an intimate feel – a refreshing change from sitting up in the vertigo-inducing balcony seats of large West End theatres!  Elizabeth Bury’s set design is simple yet effective, evoking what one imagines was the feel of the original Elizabethan performance, with Peter Mumford’s lighting design adding a magical sparkle to the scenes in the wood.

As you might expect from Hall’s reputation, this is an exceptional and highly enjoyable piece of theatre.  Perhaps it is not a particularly original or ground-breaking version of one of Shakespeare’s most popular and frequently performed plays, but the quality of the performances more than compensates for any lack of innovation.

Hall provides a fun, uplifting and memorable night at the theatre, sprinkled with an essential dose of fairy dust.

I can’t help making comparisons with restoration comedy The School for Scandal currently at the Barbican and French farce A Flea In Her Ear recently at the Old Vic, both of which were seriously unfunny. Perhaps director Nicholas Hytner is lucky that the original is in Italian so that he could commission an adaptation, whereas Deborah Warner and Richard Eyre respectively had to work with the original words on the page. The success owes as much to the adaptation as it does to the first class production and terrific ensemble. The very prolific Richard Bean (three crackers now in the last year alone) has been faithful to the spirit of Commedia dell’Arte whilst moving the action to 1960′s Brighton and produced something with snap, crackle and fizz whilst Sheridan’s restoration comedy has been de-laughed by the production and Feydeau’s farce was so faithfully re-produced and you felt like you were in a museum.

When you enter, there’s superbly played 60′s style pop from a four-piece band in full flow (music – Grant Olding) in front of a gaudy proscenium. The band return to keep us entertained between each scene change and before the second half and during the second half feature a series of brilliant cameo performances from cast members. The design is deliberately period production values with flats that wobble and fabric walls that shimmer. These are brilliant ideas that contribute much to the success of the evening.

Goldini’s plot revolves around a ‘minder’ who ends up with, well, two guvnors which gives us all we need for a cocktail of panto, carry on, slapstick & farce with a nostalgic feel but a contemporary freshness. Bean’s dialogue sparkles with wit and cheekiness with a lot of running jokes, the return of which seem like old friends as the evening progresses. The comic timing of the cast is simply stunning; they squeeze every ounce of laughter from these lines plus lots more that aren’t in the lines at all.

James Corden is excellent in the central role, but it’s far from just his show. There is so much other wonderful comic acting, it’s difficult to single anyone out – but I will! Oliver Chris’ creation of the toff is simply delicious, Daniel Rigby’s actorly actor is a hoot, Claire Lams turns playing dumb into an art form and Tom Edden’s 87-year old waiter is a masterclass in physical comedy. Playing (relatively) straight against these must be tough but I loved Fred Ridgeway’s deadpan Charlie, Trevor Laird’s lovable Lloyd Boateng(!) and Suzie Toase as prophetic feminist Dolly.

There are asides to the audience and even audience participation, but these don’t come over as gimmicks as much of Deborah Warner’s touches did for A School for Scandal; they seem absolutely right for the play and the adaptation. You do miss some of the lines and some of the funny business because of the amount of laughter and the amount going on, which seems like a very good reason to go and see it again! A triumph.

Due to an administrative error the Whingers had a couple of spare tickets for Tuesday night’s first preview of One Man, Two Guvnors at the National Theatre - Richard Bean’s rewriting of Carlo Goldoni’s 1743 quasi -commedia dell’arte Arlecchino servitore di due padroni (as we like to call it) aka The Servant of Two Masters.

An appeal on Facebook to all 11 of the Whingers’ friends produced a flurry of messages citing the usual implausibly high incidences of hair-washing and sick dogs. But in between those messsages were a high number of declined invitations seemingly based an antipathy to James Corden.

It seems that some time since his History Boys/Gavin & Stacey days and yesterday, Mister Corden (channelling Harry Worth on the poster) seems to have rubbed some people up the wrong way.

But here, once more directed (or reined in) by Mister Nicholas Hytner, Mister Corden turns in a hardworking, confident – yet not cocky – and rather likeable performance.

It’s hard to describe exactly what OM,TG is. Bean has transplanted the story to the Brighton underworld in 1963, four years into the construction of the Sydney Opera House (it makes sense when you see it). It takes a while to grind up into its stride, but once it does, it is very funny. There is a great deal of physical and visual comedy, very little fourth wall, some audience participation, a skiffle band (The Craze – geddit?) and some quite exceptional performances including Daniel Rigby as pretentious aspiring actor Alan Dangle, Oliver Chris as ex-public school toff Stanley Stubbers and Tom Edden as an 87 year old waiter.

Henshall (Corden) is working for two gangsters who are in love with each other. One is a woman, Rachel (Jemima Rooper) disguised as her twin brother. Henshall understandably has to keep them apart in the interests of receiving two pay cheques. But their paths, of course, are intertwined and things get complicated. But you needn’t trouble yourself with the machinations of the plot, it takes a very back seat to the business of providing entertainment.

Designed by Mark Thompson with commedia dell’arte/panto painted backcloths and flats. Phil who lived in Brighton for many years, located most of the action in Kemp Town. It may have been because he was seated next to Andrew, but Phil was sure he copped a whiff of salty decay.

Part farce, part panto, part vaudeville it’s the funniest play in London and Corden’s would probably be the funniest performance if he didn’t have to share the stage and accolade with Oliver Chris. Bean puts words together in a sometimes brilliant (and frankly he’s a writer with whom we’ve not had much luck in the past) and often surreal manner but if you don’t think “First names are for girls and Norwegians” is funny on the page wait till you hear Chris deliver it. For some strange reason Andrew and Phil found it very amusing.

Corden, Rigby and Chris each get to take part in some very brilliant musical interludes which we won’t explain here for the risk of spoiling the surprise.

Corden addresses the audience frequently. When asking (probably rhetorically) where he should take Dolly (WEW favourite Suzie Toase) on a first date one bright spark in the Whingers’ entourage shouted “Somewhere with tablecloths”.

Repeating the line to a huge laugh, Corden thought for a moment before retorting, “Hang around after the show and we’ll use your shirt” which – if you look at the photo of it taken at the Whingers post-show drinkies (with added props) –  illustrates why those who could see it applauded his quick response. Respect due (for the quip, not the shirt).

This has all the makings of a massive hit. It is already selling out fast and tours after its run here. The Lyttelton should reconfigure with central aisles immediately as the audiences will need somewhere in which to roll.

Phil thinks Hytner should get together with Corden in a few years time and consider doing Gogol’s The Government Inspector.

If Corden and Chris are available a transfer must surely be on the cards. But it won’t suit everyone; people without a taste for broad and gloriously daft comedy needn’t apply. The woman in front of the Whingers fell into that category but then, for reasons known only to her, she had come dressed as Joan Littlewood, so she must have a sense for the absurd after all.

Rating

It’s not perfect but by golly the funniest parts are very funny indeed. But of course, this was a first preview so it’s really not fair to judge.

Theatre Box Office has tickets for the World Premiere of One Man Two Guvnors at the Lyttleton Theatre, London from 18th May 2011.

In Richard Bean‘s English version of Goldoni’s classic Italian comedy, sex, food and money are high on the agenda. James Corden returns to the National for the first time since The History Boys to play Francis and joins Oliver Chris as Stanley Stubbers.

To check ticket availability and for more information go to Theatre Box Office One Man Two Guvnors Tickets.

Season’s Greetings injects enough sorrow into the lives of its characters for its farcical component to be seen as just one of the play’s dramatic payloads. We should be able to laugh at these funny people and also feel sad for them as the mood turns.

However, this production’s decision to load the cast with a bevy of actors with mighty reputations for television comedy served to reduce the impact of this darkness. The result was a laugh-out-loud comedy with some slow, deep and meaningful bits that were underlined as Important and required us to wear Serious Faces when taking them in.

But rather like the unsmiling reports on poverty and disaster slotted between the gags on Comic Relief night, these solemn moments felt like pauses before more gags were due to be served up.

Having sketch-show Catherine, IT Crowd Katherine, that stand-up guy and the bloke from that sitcom, with Ruth Evershed from Spooks loitering around, did not exactly raise expectations of Chekhovian light and shade.

Catherine Tate seemed to be fighting the urge to slip into the personas of her sketch show characters. She accessed aspects of several of them, but these were obviously tempting, comfortable ruts that would have turned her performance into a series of caricatures rather than a coherent dramatic whole.

The central element of farce in the play was Belinda’s midnight tryst with writer Clive. Their mutual infatuation led them to attempt a quick coupling under the Christmas tree only to set off a loud musical toy and a remotely controlled music system bringing Belinda’s husband Neville, played by Neil Stuke, and the rest of the house guests downstairs to catch them in flagrante delicto.

The tryst was performed with consummate perfection by Catherine Tate and Oliver Chris, generating gales of delirious laughter at the absurdity of their attempted copulation. Their mutual attraction had been evident at their first meeting the day before, and the moment of its fulfilment had been heralded by some hilariously obvious flirting by Belinda.

But all the hints at the problems in Belinda and Neville’s marriage leading up to that moment, and its tragic aftermath for their relationship, in particular the air of coldness between them that ends the play, did not seem credible.

The farce was so singularly effective in its humour that the subsequent deflation of mood from the tragedy was quite unwelcome.

The only real shade in the production was produced by Nicola Walker as dowdy spinster Rachel and Katherine Parkinson as put-upon expectant mother Pattie. Theirs were performances that could be taken several shades darker than most of the other characters as they were not required to perform much in the way of comedy. As a result they stood out from the rest and could command real pity when their chips were down, which was most of the time.

Two characters were consistently amusing. Mark Gatiss’s Bernard and Jenna Russell’s Phyllis were performed with such attention to detail that they raised a smile of appreciation whenever they were on stage. Their characters shared a trait that saw them both soldiering on through adversity; Bernard deploying denial and Phyllis large amounts of drink to anaesthetise their pain, making them funny and likeable.

Marc Wooton’s Eddie and Neil Stuke’s Neville showed us that men, particularly those engaged in lower middle class jobs, can be quite tedious and dull. But the actors in the roles failed to make this tediousness genuinely amusing so that they were actually quite uninteresting to watch much of the time.

For a play that involves someone being shot and taken for dead, the moment the revolver was discharged did not feel like a murder scene. Harvey, played by David Troughton, the man with his finger on the trigger of the weapon that felled Clive, had up to that point been a one-note grump. So it came as no surprise that duff doctor Bernard’s pronouncement of the victim’s death turned out to be incorrect.

But it felt like a device, a way of introducing a massive full stop near the finish of the play in order to create An Ending to a story that because of its verisimilitude would trail off into Nothing In Particular.

I walked out at the end having laughed, giggled and gasped in horror, full of admiration for many of the performances, and with fond memories of some of Catherine Tate’s revealing outfits. But the cord that had been intended to pull on my heartstrings was tangled and ineffective.

The first series of BBC's original aired in July/August 2001

A mockumentary about life in a mid-sized suboffice paper merchants in a bleak British industrial town, where manager David Brent (Ricky Gervais) thinks he’s the coolest, funniest, and most popular boss ever. He isn’t. That doesn’t stop him from embarrassing himself in front of the cameras on a regular basis, whether from his political sermonizing, his stand-up ‘comedy’, or his incredibly unique dancing. Meanwhile, long-suffering Tim (Martin Freeman) longs after Dawn (Lucy Davis) the engaged receptionist and keeps himself sane by playing childish practical jokes on his insufferable, army-obsessed deskmate Gareth (Mackenzie Crook).
Will the Slough office be closed? Will the BBC give David a game show? Will Tim and Dawn end up with each other? And more importantly, will Gareth realize what a hopeless prat he is?

Episode 01: Downsize
It was a good introduction into the series, but maybe I’ve made the mistake to think too often about the US remake. I was looking for similarities throughout the whole episode, since the US writers basically copied the first series of the UK original. And I saw I barely can remember the first season of the remake.
Anyway, some parts were hilarious, some parts were a bit over the top, but I was entertained through all the 29 minutes. I loved Tim’s prank with Gareth’s stapler in jello (oh, the old gag, I am always laughing about this one). The whole stapler story was hilarious, too, though I think that Tim’s behavior to Gareth was sometimes really over the top and couldn’t begin to remind me of the Jim/Dwight “relationship” in the US remake.
The actors did a fine job, though I had some difficulties to buy the friendship between Tim and Dawn, and maybe Ricky Gervais wasn’t really in the scene, when he joked around with Dawn at the end. To compare it with the remake: Steve Carell did a better job acting it.
Anyway, loved it of course. 7.5/10

Episode 02: Work Experience
Hilarious episode, and I even got more into the series than during the first episode. I really wanted to see the picture with David, but sadly it still is a family show. Gareth’s investigation about who made the picture and sent it was hilarious, too, since he really wasn’t an “investigator” during the story and merely just a guy, who didn’t have the guts to ask the real hard questions. Again I had a problem with Tim’s pranks, since they still come a bit over the top; and I still don’t buy his friendly relationship with Dawn, since the writers seem to focus rather on the situation in the office, than showing that Dawn or Tim is feeling something for the other one.
Is Donna (Sally Bretton) a new temp or a new office girl? If so, than the redundancy story, which is still going on here, is a bit misplaced in this episode, when David already hired a new worker for the office. But I liked the moments between David and Jennifer (Stirling Gallacher), especially when he lied straight to her face and then the scene, where he “phoned” “Christ”, when he was firing him – that was really hilarious. 8/10

Episode 03: The Quiz
It was a good episode with some hilarious moments, but I think the writers would have done a favor to themselves, when they would have not written the very last part (the challenge) into the episode. That just looked ridiculous and somehow didn’t really suit the episode, especially since I didn’t really understand, why Finchy (Ralph Ineson) was pushing for the last challenge, and why Tim and Ricky (Oliver Chris) didn’t do anything against it. Bit the rest of the episode was good though. Tim’s birthday had a few nice gags, and the thing with the blowup cock was just hilarious. The writers could have done more with the quiz night though, and it seems that they went back to the Spock thing a bit too often during the quiz; I rather would have seen Gareth having troubles with this year’s quiz and not still having troubles with the Spock question.
And what did I hear during quiz night? David probably has a family? Very interesting… 7.5/10

Episode 04: Training
It was a good episode, and I especially liked how David “manipulated” Rowan’s (Vincent Franklin) staff training the whole time. First with saying that the video gives basically false information, then his songs he is singing (and I was quite surprised about the songs, Ricky Gervais is actually a real good singer), the little discussion he had with Gareth during one o the songs, and finally the role-playing, where David completely overrun Rowan’s plans – I had to laugh, when he talked about rape, looked at his staff and said “There you have attention”… hilarious stuff.
The little side plot with Dawn was not that interesting though, since the breakup with her fiancé kinda came from nowhere, as well as their kiss at the end with her saying to Tim that they didn’t break up. Tim was a bit over the top here, too. His little “breakdown” at the end was a bit unbelievable for me. 7.5/10

Episode 05: New Girl
The episode was alright, but the story in this episode was kinda boring. Donna comes too late, she slept with somebody from the office, and except Gareth, nobody cares – not even the writers. They could have pulled something better out of the story. David’s search for a new secretary was boring as well, and the “stint” with the ball was just lame and more awkward than funny. And on the other hand, Tim wants to leave the office, going to study more, but with the exception of the first minute, the writers didn’t go back to that story anymore.
But it was funny to see Finchy during the second half of the episode again. I love dhow he went to a club with the staff, and how the girls were flirting with the guys – especially that chick, who made out with Gareth. 6/10

Episode 06: Judgement
It was a good season finale, but I was wondering here, why everybody was kinda liking David in this episode. Okay, he had a stupid behavior again, especially when the office folks wanted to know about the redundancies, but here he was absolutely nice and even saved all the jobs in the office with not taking the promotion after all. On the other hand: It was the perfect story vor the season finale, but that David wouldn’t take the promotion was predictable, since the BBC writers weren’t so ballsy 9, 10 years ago.
Sadly, the writers didn’t really focus on the rest of the characters – whether Tim stays or not (he said he leaves the office, but the ending is pretty much open), whether the second row characters stay or not (some must have decided to leave on own terms), and then Dawn’s boyfriend, as well as Gareth’s new girlfriend (that one was hilarious, when he knocked her down). And sadly, the writers didn’t focus on any other story than the redundancies. 7.5/10

Season average is 7.33 – together with the British Crash on 37th place.
All in all I liked it. Maybe there could be more humor, maybe there could be more story. But I have to say, I like David Brent more than Michael Scott. And luckily I didn’t even had much chances to compare this first series with the first season of the US remake, since I can’t really remember anymore, what happened.
I don’t know when to watch the second series, I am missing the 2-hour Christmas Special. And I don’t even have time to watch the second series anyway… Maybe in the fall.
The second seasons of United States of Tara, The Mentalist and Numb3rs are coming up next.

This isn’t a particularly revelatory production, but it stands out in two ways – uniformly well acted and beautifully spoken. I particularly liked the physicality of the lovers scene in the forest and though the rude mechanicals were rather too subdued at first, they came into their own when they got to put on their play.

In the acting department, there’ a lot more than a Dame, including Rachel Stirling’s passionate Helena, Oliver Chris’ very funny Bottom and a fine regal pair in Charles Edwards and Julian Wadham. As for Her Highness, well you have to take any opportunity these days to be in the presence of her greatness and she’s as great as ever.

There is an idea that Shakespeare had in mind Queen Elizabeth when writing the part of Titania, queen of the fairies, whose name is based on the Roman goddess Diana. The play was produced in about 1595, at a time when Shakespeare’s company, the Chamberlain’s Men, were regularly playing to Elizabeth’s court and it’s quite likely she saw it. In any event it was a masterstroke of Peter Hall to have Judi Dench play the part of Titania, and I found her entirely convincing. It is nearly fifty years since she first performed it under Hall’s direction with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962, but fairies are ancient beings, aren’t they — and fairy queens may be older than most.

The players, who rehearse in the woods and perform at the Duke’s court, were utterly delightful. Oliver Chris as Bottom, with a Brummie accent, was a wonderful ass, and his death scene in the frightful court performance of Pyramus and Thisbe was gloriously over the top. I also thought Timothy Speyer as Snug was superb with his round-eyes and broad Black Country accent, seemingly in awe of his more worldly fellow actors. The hopeless incompetence of the acting troupe was hilarious, and their marvellous comic timing had the audience in stitches.

The lovers were well played, with Annabel Scholey as Hermia, Rachael Stirling as Helena, and I particularly liked Tam Williams and Ben Mansfield as Lysander and Demetrius, the suitors. In the fairy realm, Reece Ritchie was an excellent Puck with his dark features, huge energy and mischievous attitude. The sets and costume designs by Elizabeth Bury, and the lighting by Peter Mumford, were both simple and effective, and the ass’s head gave Bottom an appealing nobility. The Rose Theatre usually has some empty seats, partly because of some poor sight-lines, but Judi Dench has made this a sell-out. If you can get tickets, it’s well worth seeing, not just for her, but because the whole cast gives a wonderful performance. This is the perfect antidote to the winter blues — it’s a riot, and two Americans in front of us were going for the second time that day!

On Friday night I attended a production of Rain Man at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh.I must confess prior to attending the show I hadn’t seen the film starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman and that my only reference to the show was a Ricky Gervais observation about Karl Pilkington, who he believed shared traits with Hoffman’s character.I must also admit that I am not much of a theatre aficionado – aside from a Standard Grade in Drama and occasional visits (to mainly musicals) I can’t say I am a great luvvie.However, I’d like to think I know great theatre when I see it and Rain Man was it.  Seeing as was apparently the only one in the world who hasn’t seen the film I won’t bother recapping the plot but focus instead on the two key performers – Neil Morrissey and Oliver Chris, both of whom were superb.  Morrissey is well-known to British audiences having appeared in numerous good television shows and occasionally some bad British films.  Playing Raymond, a severely autistic character is as far removed from his previous roles and it was great to see someone who clearly has abundant natural charisma having to play a role that restrained that aspect of his craft.  Equally good was Oliver Chris who you may recognise from The Office and Green Wing, where he plays eminently likeable if slightly cocky characters – it was the flipside of these characters we see in Rain Man where is charismatic but not likeable until his relationship with Raymond grows stronger.The production is on tour throughout the UK and well worth getting tickets to.

Here’s our top ten of what to do this weekend.

George Clooney stars in The Men Who Stare At Goats

1. The Men Who Stare At Goats at Cineworld Broad Street, Birmingham Reporter Bob Wilton is embedded in Iraq during the early years of the invasion, scrabbling around for a story. By chance, he encounters oddball Lyn Cassady, who makes outlandish claims about being part of the so-called New Earth Army.

2. Bridget Riley: Flashback at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery Prints including black-and-white pieces from the 1960s and more recent works.

3. Eddie Izzard at Manchester Evening News Arena The cross-dressing comedian presents his critically-acclaimed stand-up show.

Morrissey makes a return to the stage

4. Morrissey at the Liverpool Echo Arena & Convention Centre The iconic singer-songwriter, formerly of the Smiths, promotes his album Years Of Refusal.

5. Rain Man at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Neil Morrissey and Oliver Chris star in an adaptation of the film about brotherly love.

6. Mew at Leeds Metropolitan University Mew, the unique Danish space pop innovators are on tour in the UK.

Russell Brand promises to raise some chuckles

7. Russell Brand at London’s Royal Albert Hall The funnyman brings the curtain down on his hugely popular ‘Scandalous Tour’ in what is the last chance to see this explosive show live.

8. Lord Of The Dance at Nottingham Royal Centre Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance is a magical adventure that promises to transport the ‘audience to a mythical time and place, lifting the spirits and capturing the hearts of all who experience it’. Crickey!

9. Scrooge The Musical at the Manchester Palace Theatre A musical based on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol starring Tommy Steele.

10. Michael Jackson: The Official Exhibition at London’s O2 Arena Jacko fans can get their fix at this exhibition which showcases some of the most personal and iconic memorabilia that reflects specific milestones in Michael’s life.

With everyone in New Year mode, many thinking about their health and their body (not that anyone is thinking about Andrew’s body) it seemed appropriate that the Whingers’ first outing of 09 should be to Lisa Kron‘s play Well at the Apollo Theatre.

Well, actually Andrew had no idea why the Whingers went to see this. He had a vague recollection that they had concluded quite some time ago – possibly before it had even been written – that it was going to be awful* and that the Whingers were definitely going to give it a wider berth.

Their presence at the Apollo on Monday evening can only be put down to Phil’s determination to see “international screen icon” Sarah Miles on stage. Anyway…

Billed semi-ironically as a “theatrical exploration of illness and wellness”, Well is performed as a play exploring the relationship suffered between (oh dear) “avant-garde performance artist” Lisa Kron (who wrote the play and originally starred in it but here is played by Two Pints of Lager… star Natalie Casey) and her recently permanently ill mother, Anne (“international screen icon” Sarah Miles).

It is based on Kron’s actual life in Lansing, Michigan and it’s about allergies and racial prejudice. But more than that, it’s about Lisa Kron. Actually, that’s a lie. To be honest it’s not about allergies, racial prejudice, illness or wellness; it’s just about Lisa Kron.

Incidentally, when we said it was “performed as a play” we were for once not being unnecessarily convoluted and clumsy: the actors play actors playing their parts and Lisa addresses the audience directly and that’s where the problems more or less started for the Whingers.

“It’s not meant to be a well-made play, it’s a theatrical exploration,” stated Lisa. Well, to her credit she’s was at least half right. But why we were supposed to care at all about Ms Kron and about her “issues” was unclear to us. But Ms Kron obviously found them all deeply fascinating and worthy of sharing.

Anyway, while she shared, Phil reflected that Well seems an odd title for a play starring “international screen icon” Sarah Miles who famously drinks her own urine. But she certainly looks healthy enough even with her letter box mouth and batty hair do. But when Woman’s Wear magazine described her as “The Lady with the Truckdriver’s Mouth” it was apparently in reference to her predilection for profanities rather than any kind of aspersion about the freshness of her breath.

This had of course been a major topic of conversation before Well and the outcome was that despite the Whingers’ idle contemplation of a healthy New Year detox they have decided to eschew sampling their own body fluids (or anyone else’s) and will, for the time being, stick to the Merlot.

But if the credit crunch deepens and the Apollo doesn’t drop its astronomic bar prices, who knows what the Whingers will be forced to imbibe before the year is out?

Anyway, with all this talk fresh in his mind, Phil was quite alarmed when, in something approaching  a panto moment, Miss Miles (twice married to playwright Robert Bolt, lest you should be doubting her idiosyncrasy)  threw soft drinks into the audience. Only a fool would have drunk one.

Fortunately Andrew was fast asleep and was only woken when Phil pushed a piece of paper into his hand and gestured wildly and did that exaggerated lip movement which he believes helps people hear him more clearly when he is whispering.

Although Andrew couldn’t read it, the note said “I’m off to the pub” but fortunately Phil’s mime skills got the message across.

It took him another 10 minutes to effect his escape from this 1 hour 40 minute no interval extravaganza. Not an easy task when seated mid row and with no breaks in the “drama” on the stage.

But by this time Phil would have rather have drunk his own urine rather than endure any more of the dreadful self-conscious navel-gazing. In fact he’d rather have drunk “international screen icon” Sarah Miles’ urine and the rest of the audiences’

Somehow Well elicited reviews like “tears-rolling-down-the-face-funny…one of the plays of the year”, and “fantastic theatre…full of warmth and wisdom” (but that one did come from Time Out), and a transfer from the Trafalgar Studios.

But certainly  the night we were there the audience laughter at this so called “riotous comedy” was non-existent (we exaggerate: their were two American women who thought it was hilarious) and people began to follow Phil’s lead and the stalls began to empty.

“You didn’t all have to pay to get in here, did you? That’s terrible,” said Miss Miles to the audience at one point – this was the only moment when Ms Kane’s writing got anywhere near a knuckle and the audience greeted the remark with an audibly embarrassed silence.

So, in a nutshell, this was sadly not a good start to the year, and a shockingly early appearance on this blog of the Fram Scale.

When Andrew and Graham finally caught up with Phil in the pub they found him happily nursing a glass of wine and looking the picture of vitality while their own faces had the countenance of two people who have received very bad news from their doctors.

If Well was an animal it would have been put out of its misery ages ago. Judging by the meagre audience it’s already on a life support machine but we feel it would be kindest to switch it off immediately. Perhaps it should transfer to Switzerland. The symptoms are terminal. There is no hope for Well. Time to inform the relatives.

How this show earned a Tony Award nomination is beyond us. We feel sorry for Miles and Casey who did their best with the material.

Footnotes

* Which of course, it was. It’s not often that we agree with both Gardner (“Well? Not particularly after seeing Lisa Kron’s play about her relationship with her mother that for 100 navel-gazing minutes seems about to expire from an overdose of therapy-speak and terminal cuteness.”) and de Jongh (“to suffer this aggressively dull example of self-exposure by playwright Lisa Kron is like being held captive by an egotist who labours under the delusion that the conundrums of their private life will resonate with a wider public”). But we do.

There is not much in the way of merchandising for this show and Phil thinks it’s a shame. He has been putting some thought into it.

Henry James at The Rose, Kingston

Portrait of a Lady – the Kingston ROSE theatre 26 August – 6 September
Post performance talk: Tuesday 2 September

Audio described performance: 6 September 2.30pm. Touch tour at 1pm.

Suitable for all ages.

Matinee(s) Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday 2.30pm

Evening(s) 7.30pm

Adapted by Nicki Frei
Directed by Peter Hall
Presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions & The Peter Hall Company

Nicola Frei’s stage adaptation of Henry James’ novel, directed by Peter Hall, opens The Peter Hall Company residency at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.

The cast includes Catherine McCormack (The Land Girls, All My Sons), Niamh Cusack (Heartbeat, A&E), Finbar Lynch (Proof, Not About Nightingales), Jean Marsh (Upstairs Downstairs, Boeing Boeing), Oliver Chris (Green Wing, The Office), Anthony Howell (Foyle’s War) and Christopher Ravenscroft (The Ruth Rendell Mysteries).

“Catherine McCormack is unquestionably fine” The Times

Set in London, Rome and Florence, The Portrait of a Lady tells the story of Isabel Archer, a beautiful, young American heiress, who travels to Europe on a voyage of self-discovery.
Links:

http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/

2.

London Hip-Hop, Funk ‘n Soul at Ascot

The Common Moral Cause Fri Aug 29 2008 8:00P The Jagz Club & Restaurant, Ascot

The Common Moral Cause are an exciting ten piece outfit who combine an eclectic mix of urban jazz, funk, hip-hop, R’n'B and soul to create a fluid funk flava that they can call their own.

Their unique sound and engaging live performances has already seen them play numerous sell out gigs across the country and make appearances at the London Astoria, Oxford’s Zodiac and the Jazz Café.

Their debut EP Causality (the principle that there is a cause to everything that happens) has just been released, with their follow up CD Big Sound set for release at the end of the summer.

TCMC are on the regular playlist for Maidenhead’s Green Apple 88.4FM, and have appeared on BBC radio Manchester. To date they have had a few limited TV appearances with Odis making it through to the quarter finals of ITV’s X Factor and keen fans will have spotted the Mole spitting his rhymes with style on Channel Four’s Faking it.

The Show:

Friday, 29th August
Show will start at 8.00
Ticket cost: £6.00
Entrance for the night is £6. Doors open at 7.30pm for dining and 8.30pm for drinking. 2 courses for £22, 3 courses for £26.

The Links:

http://www.myspace.com/thecommonmoralcause

http://www.jagz.co.uk/

Station Hill, Ascot

Also look out for TCMC at the Iver Carnival
Iver High St, Iver, Bucks, London and South East
Cost : FREE September, 13 2008
—————————————

Also at JAGZ Station Hill, Ascot this week:

Fallen Heroes

Fabulous and highly entertaining six piece band that always create a really groovy atmosphere with their eclectic mix of New Orleans R&B and funky Street Beat.

Upcoming show:

Saturday, 30th August
Show will start at 8.00
Ticket cost: £8.00
Doors open from 7.30pm. £26 for 2 courses and entrance (£30 for 3 courses). Entrance for the bands is £8 but is strictly

limited and on a first come first served basis. Entrance for dining or just the band INCLUDES free entrance to the nightclub

http://www.myspace.com/fallenheroesinfo


3.

Shepperton ‘Hometown Heroes’ play The Hob, Staines

Photo- Mindy Coe

Loaded Dice at The Hob, Staines Sunday August 31 8:00P £3 on door

Best UK Live Unsigned Band

The Loaded Dice were formed 4 years ago and early success saw the band reaching the live televised UK final of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Their catchy riffs and strong vocals led to an invitation to perform for 4 successive years in The National Rock and Pop Festival at the NEC Birmingham. Competing in the National Youth Battle of the Bands (which they came a close second in 2005.) Recently the band won the National live and Unsigned South Coast Idol competition, beating over 10 000 acts and winning the title of “Best UK live and unsigned band.”

Currently the boys are involved with Future Music Management developing the band. They clearly love playing together especially on stage and are always ready to entertain and perform to their best. They have taken their music further a field, twice touring Spain to take part in music concerts.

Loaded Dice are:

Lui Matthews -vocals
Anthony Wilkinson – Guitar & backing vocals
Ian Lennon – Bass
Steven Wilkinson – Drums & backing vocals

http://www.myspace.com/theloadeddice

If you miss ‘em they will be back at The Hob on Sept 14th (but catch ‘em quick because these boys are gonna be BIG!!!)

Photo by:

http://www.myspace.com/mindycoephotography

4.

Rock, rock, rock (and Ska) at The Hob Staines

The Stilts at The Hob Staines, Sunday August 31st 8:00P (with Loaded Dice)

The Stilts play balls-out rock and roll with lashings of punk and ska thrown in. Citing influences ranging from The Clash and The Who through to Cage the Elephant and The Paddingtons, the band’s sound is the result of a sonic collision between the garage band revolution of the sixties and the current wave of alternative indie. Not confined to any one style, The Stilts create music that rocks and deliver it with the punk energy it deserves.

Formed in North-West London in 2006 The Stilts have made practising an obsession and obsession an art form, creating an impressive range of their own material. Over the last year and a half they have worked their way through quiet Monday night gigs to packed weekenders in top venues, delighting promoters and picking up fans on the way.

The Stilts now have a reputation for jumping sets packed with raw energy, which has enabled them to build a dedicated following on the London gig circuits. Having been tipped for prime slots on a host of mainstream radio shows, they expect to be heard on the air in the near future.

The band continues to raise expectations, incorporating innovative sounds from their current influences and regularly introducing new tracks to their sets, keeping fans hooked and converting non-believers.

Mr Fred – sings and strums

Here – licks and shreds

J – thumps and rumbles

Trigger – hits things

The links:

http://www.myspace.com/thestilts

Lots of Fun !!


5.

Classic Rock from The Blue Fuses, Staines

The Blue Fuses Aug 28 2008 8:00P The Staines RIVERSIDE Club Laleham Road

Blue Fuses is a great Surrey-based rock covers band, doing mostly 70′s – 80′s stuff – from AC/DC to ZZ Top via a number of bands with colours in their names, particularly Black, Pink and Purple. You will love them… lots of audience interaction and some nice set-pieces. They went down very well the last time they played STAINES.

Check our review of last years Blue Fuses gig here

http://www.myspace.com/douglip

if you miss the Blue Fuses in Staines this week you can catch them at:

October, 25 2008 at The Cardinal Wolsey
Hampton Court Rd, Hampton, London and South East KT8
Cost : £2

Get Your Tickets for Beck Theatre, Hayes

The Beck Theatre
Grange Road
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 2UE

-Visit AdPontes-Staines Regularly for Staines Arts-

Directed by Sir Peter Hall, the play explores the notion that women’s lives – even for those who had money and power – were hugely restricted at the end of the 19th century.

Catherine McCormack in The Portrait Of A Lady

‘When I read the script, I really felt this story of a woman who has the best of intentions, but gets used and abused by all of those around her,’ says Chris.

James’s literary masterpiece follows beautiful young American heiress Isabel Archer (Catherine McCormack) as she travels to Europe on a voyage of self-discovery, accompanied by Madame Merle (Niamh Cusack). Turning down marriage proposals from an English lord and wealthy Boston industrialist Caspar Goodwood (Chris), Isabel eventually becomes the wife of Gilbert Osmond (Finbar Lynch). But as he and Madame Merle reveal their true natures, she faces the prospect of a future alone, until Goodwood steps in.

‘He’s a young American who doesn’t really go in for any of the niceties of the European guys dancing around Isabel,’ says Chris. ‘He’s used quite badly by her, and we show that even though Isabel is our heroine, she steps on people by accident.’

By taking James’s novel out of sequence, Frei’s script builds into a non-linear story, seeking to carry the audience along with its mood rather than its narrative drive. Meanwhile, Chris is revelling in his switch from small-screen comedy to the stage.

‘I never intended to go into TV comedy,’ he admits. ‘My initial love was theatre, so going back to it really is a breath of fresh air.’

Mon Aug 18 until Sat Aug 23, Festival Theatre, Malvern Theatres, Grange Road, Malvern. 8pm, mats Wed and Sat 2.30pm, £19.50 to £26.50, concs available. Tel: 01684 892277. http://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk