Theatre
I Whispers has decided he‘s been a bit snobbish of late. Seldom have his commentaries of recent times touched the world of commercial theatre. But the recent appearance, across the pond, of Julia Roberts on Broadway has caused him to venture a comment on the big-money stage.
if the New York critics are to be believed, if you touched Miss Roberts on her press night, you might well have suffered a splinter. Her performance, it would seem, accorded to that of many previous stars of the big and small screen in its lack of basic craft, and highlights a problem of the commercial theatre which is of that industry's own making. if there is an insistence that the only way to attract big audiences is through revered names from the synthetic mediums, then the danger is that audiences may have their evenings spoiled by poor central performances.
For Roberts is not an isolated example of the ill-fated hubris of the screen actor deluding themselves that they can really act. Whispers recalls seeing with his own rapidly fading minces Raquel Welsh in The Millionairess, into whom nails could have been driven without pain, Danni Minogue (not even Kylie!) as Lady Macbeth (if she had played Lady Godiva, the horse would’ve upstaged her) and a chap from Eastenders in Chicago who would have a good case for suing his acting coach for malpractice. Whispers knows it takes a lot of courage to expose yourself on a stage, yet in such cases, the audiences needed even more courage and what they were exposed to was the theatrical equivalent of asbestos.
It’s an old fashioned argument, but Whispers makes no apologies for making it. There are any number of all singing, all dancing and very skilled actors sitting on their watusis without employment as you read this; why not bring more of their basic theatre skills onto commercial stages, and promote a show rather than a name? There are plenty of good actors who know you’ve got to do it without a second take.
88 TRE LIST Q‘ r\;"—‘ ‘1 M.“ 2005
DON QUIXOTE
Citizens' Theatre. Glasgow. Tue 2 - Sat 6 May
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Review
my r'e‘urerxxtir. (llarrePreiatrriur"1 trar u. a rare il‘.’(‘ star re‘.re'.'..
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“i . LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES Royal Lyceum Theatre. Edinburgh. until Sat 20 May case
What is it about art that allows us to enjoy the misdeeds of people who, if we met them in real life, would be anathema to us? Perhaps in their appalling patterns of behaviour we see something repressed in ourselves, expetitatrt ms of rorrzentrt rnai allowing us a journey into vicarious pleasures that we would deny ourselves naturalrstrt: rirarna. anri rt 1:;1n tnr: trenr‘ in real life. For us then, the labyrinthine plotting and counterplotting,
that Morin seems to emit. the tart; (rt betrayals and lotus-eating excesses of Christopher Hampton‘s celebrated 1986 adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos‘ 18th Century novel are about a liberation of unconscious repressions. For the characters. though, the unconscious is not an issue; they are in the business of allowing their desires full reign, and getting away with it through the manipulation of social mores, etiquette and custom.
So it is that the Marquise (Tilly Blackwood) challenges her former lover Valmont (Dugald Bruce Lockhart) to seduce the pure of heart Tourvel (Candida Benson), a wager he responds to with relish, while on the way amusing himself with the virginal Cecile (Siobhan Reilly) who is betrothed to young Danceny (James Mackenzie). He even finds time for some trysting with Parisian Courtesan Emilie (Shonagh Price). But each, in different ways is exposed to the perils that authentic love, as opposed to the simple pleasures of putting it about, bring upon us. It’s a deeply comical journey with a hauntingly tragic end.
John Dove's production for the Royal Lyceum shows plenty of nous in building its characters, for whom psychological plausibility is paramount. In front of Michael Taylor’s corniced and mural enriched set, the delicate minuets of erotic and emotional double-cross are played out with pleasing timing, and if some of the gender politics are very much of the 805, the believability of the you-chase-they-run-and-vice-versa emotional dynamics is complete and pleasing. This is due in no small part to some terrific performances, particularly from the central trio. Lockhart throws himself into his calculating philanderer with wit and vigour, while Blackwood's deadly winsomeness is alarmingly authentic. So too, Benson’s emotionally mangled repressive is played with deft measure and balance, pulling back enough from melodrama to create powerful emotion. And there’s strong support all round, particularly from Price’s whore with a heart of some baser element than gold. (Steve Cramer)
(:lassrt‘, It seems germane to oi that this ()I(?(;i: otters rr‘anj. opportunities to sut)‘.<:rt the
the enontmous over rrnagrrnatrze romantrt: rs of itself. the expir ration not so rnueh of realrty as a |rherate:t suhjeetr'xrty seeking; through arsrr nt. :rt’ an eccentric hut yen, soiro‘ rnoralrt‘, to right the ‘.‘."l()lit}8 ot the world. In other words. rt's ahout the (:Iash of (M'ititj and meaning), ‘.‘.'hether we shoul'i accent the world as rt rs, or rrrrrrose our imagination unon rt, (il'Ot’iIllit) a stable ethreai \.’ii3l()lt With which can overcome chaos. But heyonrt that. it's great fun. (Steve Cramerr
ADAPTATION
Dundee Rep, Wed 10-Sat 20 May, then touring. Those who nr'eaeh the literal truth of the hiri- seen it i‘ri." '1 . r'. r.» amount of damage rn recent times. t‘ut .'.t‘-a’. Hake» s .r,"' 7n "
infuriating is the fact that they. seem to haze rnrsnexi In»: .'.'v:r~:,- r r" 'T' w :1 w The Bible rs Sureh most rrnnortant as rr‘.t"._ an:r 12"»;- Ht-y-ra 72.9 ‘ ‘
myth rs far less significant than rte; rrretar2h.;r-r,.rr tr .er 2 ‘. tell ourselxes stories of such E;rt;r‘rrt'(‘a".r.;ér I'm: 'fw- .-; f ° ' :' germratrons.
And myth. he rt an em: Brhi:<:a! ttt'.)‘.|(; or a "(:I‘;i' "1r " " .1“ (that Is. intestett ‘.'.’lih a metaphwrear stand/gar ‘ar 2 '."»: : -- '. fire- of the assassrnatror‘. at KCHPOU', rs aura) :1 the-at" a .r'”) Z) .' In»- ’33-: shOLrld he COr‘rgr'atulatett for nrrntjrng a man“. a.“ : ~.: w ,'r‘:' .a' " , '
Our stages. Wu Chengen's ancer‘f. ens rs ;;€-‘:"‘a;:‘l a" 7.. f: .7 " serres made rn the kite 70s arm arms-tr air aritrrxr t"-_,- r r. r 232 ' Her-.a' * \EBI‘SIOH Ioaks tc certrtirne at the eéerrrerrts I'mv‘ 2: :1 v .z, T' might expect. Mixing the Dimsrcar rimmess :7‘ 83""; aw- gr
some manta! arts SKINS for the occasron. an: Dames: 3-2:» 5-": r; {1' T" rs a grand-scare protect that tl'ernrses If, {Me-"fa " t'w: ‘« (Steve Crameh