November 2008 (Mary Couzens - EXTRA! EXTRA! )
The latest unmissable theatrical outing!
Flat Pack’s shamelessly gleeful, nonetheless powerful production of Bill MacIlwraith’s decadently dark 1966 familial comedy springs startlingly to life under the capable guidance of its director Joseph C. Walsh and its thoroughly talented and subsequently, convincing cast. The fact that I had seen and enjoyed Flat Pack’s imaginative production of Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol at Greenwich Playhouse last December in no way prepared me for this completely different, latest unmissable theatrical outing!
Every November, like clockwork, a nameless widowed mum (you may think of lots of names for her once you’ve seen her in action) in South London summons her three adult sons back to their familial home on her wedding anniversary for a little ‘party’ during the course of which they will collectively raise a glass to their dear departed dad. They are all embroiled in the same family business, renovating and building homes which they then sell on for profit, which was a reputable one, until their dad kicked off a few years before. Mum is a real piece of work, and proud of it, by all accounts, as she is known for, as her eldest and seemingly favourite son Henry repeatedly states, ‘finding your weak spot and aiming for it.’ Needless to say mum is also a nightmare of a mother in law to her middle son Terry’s wife, Karen as well as a threat to the future happiness of her youngest son Tom and his latest girlfriend and, fiancée, Shirley. However, mum needs no provocation whatsoever to lull people into a false sense of security, before relentlessly fire her sharply pointed verbal barbs at whoever may be unfortunate enough to step into her firing range.
First of all, everyone in this production is excellently cast and does a remarkable job with their roles. As a result of that, and Joe C. Walsh’s fine direction, the action of the play flows along smoothly throughout, allowing MacIlwraith’s timeless, deeply psychological mother-son dynamics to emerge to their fullest degree. Ellen Sheean, a fine actress who is more than up to her role, throws herself into her ‘mum’, leaving teeth and talon marks on nearly every other character in her wake. We’ve all known someone like mum, and some of us have known versions of her up a little too close and personal for comfort, though they may not have had as much bite, in the final analysis as MacIlwraith’s deliberately exaggerated gorgon. It’s great fun to watch Ellen Sheean in action, and her competence in the role may make you feel, as it did me, that this production deserves to go onto a loftier regarded stage after this run, perhaps in one of the smaller venues of the West End, Trafalgar Studios perhaps, where it might be seen by a wider audience.
The rest of the characters in this biting comi-drama complies with mum’s seething wishes, to varying degrees, according to the individual emotional impact her formidable bark makes upon them. Youngest son Tom (Sam Millard) has mum’s number, as he tells anyone who will listen, but he still finds it hard to resist that old oedipal pull whenever the wrath of mum’s maternal tide rolls his way. Middle son Terry (Francis Adams) is the family shame bearer and his wife Karen (Fiona Whitelaw) acts as his staunch defender, while mum’s favourite son Henry (David Millard), seems, in a manner of speaking to be the daughter mum never had, and considering the wideness of her jealous streak in relation to wives and girlfriends, probably wouldn’t have wanted. That leaves new girl on the block Shirley (Rebecca Stoddart), who doesn’t even know about mum’s horrific, unchangeable stripes until she’s pitched deep into Tom’s familial south London living room right alongside of her. However, the fact that ‘mum’ is so much more seasoned at being rude and hitting below the belt does not necessarily mean that she will always come out on top when it comes to being shrewd. Those of you who aren’t familiar with this excellent play will just have to make the effort to attend this fine production to see what I mean. If you do, you’ll be glad you did.
Mum has been played by a whole string of fine actresses through the years: Mona Washbourne in the play’s 1966 West End premiere at the Duke of York Theatre, (which also featured Michael Crawford as Terry and Shelia Hancock as Karen), Shelia Hancock in a later incarnation of the play and none other than that late, great ‘Mother Goddamn’ (title of her wonderful autobiography) herself Bette Davis on celluloid. Though, ‘mum’ could also, easily be seen as a template for characters like Joan Collins pale by comparison Alexis on Dynasty.
I’ll take my lead from the programme which lists actors in order of appearance, to cite individual performances, as all are worthy of citation. Sam Millard, who has his hair brushed back contemporary style in his photo in the programme, is a bit of a long haired 1960’s dandy in the play, with his colourful shirt and necktie and Brian Jones quaff. His seeming arrogance at the start of the play is all the more intriguing when you consider where it leads by the production’s conclusion. Again, you’ll have to come see for yourself! Tom’s unsuspecting, initially nervous girlfriend is sensitively played by Rebecca Stoddart who exhibits all of the agitation one would expect when meeting such a formidable dragon as mum, but like her counterpart Millard as Tom Stoddart also cleverly unfolds the layers of Shirley’s surprisingly multi-dimensional character within the context of the play’s storyline. Well done to both of these fine actors! That brings us to David Millard as Henry, whom I initially thought was a tad old to be playing Tom’s oldest brother until I considered the age range of the family of a friend of mine who is himself of a similar age to the actor playing Henry, with a youngest brother of about the same age as Millard as Tom. And given the fact that alongside of ‘mum’ Henry looked like a big baby, all was as it should have been! Millard excels at playing his nice guy with a wrinkle (or should that be a ruffle?) role, making us like him, regardless of his, as Shirley generously terms his surprising bents, ‘idiosyncrasies.’ As middle son Terry, Francis Adams gives such an accurate depiction of a self-professed ‘runt of the litter’ that it is almost painful to watch him repeatedly giving in to mum’s well rehearsed emotional blackmail. It seems that without his wife, Karen, played with measured but nevertheless relentless venom (towards her mum in law) by Fiona Whitelaw. The performances of these actors combined really pack a punch. Well done all – a big round of applause and, thanks!
Well done too, to Lizzie Bardwell for her lived-in living room, with its tightwad’s trappings and gallery of loser’s trophies, as Millard as Tom termed them. Wendy Benstead’s costumes are similarly out of sight in accordance with the play’s 1960’s time period, from Shirley’s black and white geometric print dress and Karen’s more dignified frock to mum’s old dolly bird mini-dresses and the variously fashion aware (or not) outfits for the male characters. The input of both Bardwell and Bedstead has been integral to look and feel and therefore, the overall success of this production. Similarly, the contributions of Stage Manager Tom Jewett and Production Assistants Warren Amis and Curtis Storey who handled Lighting and Sound worked a treat, as both seemed incidental rather than intrusive, and records like Tom Jones’ ‘What’s New Pussycat?’ and The Shangri-Las ‘Leader of the Pack’ were true to the play’s time period.
In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Marc Antony states that the ‘evil that men do lives after them, the good is often interred with his bones.’ But in The Anniversary, MacIlwraith enables his unscrupulous mum to embody the notion that a man’s good name might be subject to change, even after his death. Perhaps a bit of mum’s bluntness has rubbed off on me, but all I can say is, you’d be a fool to miss this outstanding production!