Parking Lot In Pittsburgh -
Touring Production
Playwright - Anne Downie
Director - Ken Alexander
Assistant Director/ Choreographer - Rita Henderson
Designer - Ken Harrison
Musical Arranger - Stuart J Wilson
Lighting Designer - Simon Sewell
Company - The Byre Theatre of St Andrews
Reviewed - St Andrews Byre Theatre on 13 September 2002 Info
on original production
Venues & Dates - see end of review
Reviewer - Thelma Good
Sharper, tighter and well tuned. It's fueled by a fine rebuild
Revived and revised and now going on a tour round Scotland, Anne Downie's
play is interestingly changed and strengthened, with Eileen McCallum
still in place as a vintage gem. Its themes of the supporting arms of
faith and real love, the pull of home and the horrendous way we behave
when affection is weaker than vengeance and rivalry are strong chords
echoed by the audience's audible involvement with Maggie, the sister
who returns.
In McCallum's experienced hands Maggie is a rich, moving characterisation
of a woman who went away to be a housekeeper 50 years ago and now returns
to the four sisters who she left behind. Mamie's the one who always
makes an dressy entrance, Ann Scott-Jones plays her with a sharp
waspish sting, Betty's the youngest and the one who cared for their
Mother hoping for a sisterly reward, Anne Myatt makes us nearly
side with Betty, while Hope Ross as Rose and Vari Slyvester
as Agnes complete these sisters. The scenes flow interesting into one
another across time from the return to the snippy sisters into a line
dancing night out, or back into Maggie's past with her younger self
and Jimmy her fiancé, tender innocence and desire played with
sincerity by Shonagh Price and Mike Howell. Stewart McLean
joins these two actors in cameo multi-roles played so we know even the
fleeting person's being.
This time around the musicality of the sisters' sparring over their
oldest sister is even more acutely created, giving us the painful dislocating
effect of family manoeuvres, powered by each sister's needing to get
something back. Ken Alexander's direction ensure Downie's script is
vibrantly and theatrically delivered with the monologues set into the
text like openings to the soul of each sister. The simpler travelling
set with its slidable-in mini stages retains the stain glass emblems
of Saltire, Stars and Stripes and the eternal Cross giving openable
windows for the strong supernatural scenes where we hear peoples' unspoken
thoughts as well as their voiced barbs.
Parking Lot In Pittsburgh second time around is sharper, tighter and
well tuned. It's fuelled by a fine rebuild by Downie and a cast whose
original members and well cast replacements including Vari Slyvester
does well in place of Jan Wilson, who unfortunately had to withdraw
due to ill health during rehearsals. There's nothing on Telly about
our Scottish and sisterly foibles as compelling, incisive or thrilling
as this, so catch it during its tour for a well made Good Night Out.
And why not check out the Byre's production of the Odd Couple, also
touring at the moment, for the male equivalent.
© Thelma Good 13 September 2002. - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Review
of Original Production premiered July 2001 at Byre Theatre St
Andrews, this touring production has slightly different cast and the
play has been revised.
2002 Tour of Parking Lot In Pittsburgh
Tour opens
12 - 21 Sept at 8pm Mats 14, 18 & 21 at 2:30pm St Andrews
Byre Theatre 01334 475000
23 -28 Sept
at 7:30pm Mats Wed & Sat at 2:30pm Glasgow Kings Theatre
0141 287 5511
1 - 5 Oct at 7:30pm Kirkcaldy Adam Smith Theatre 01592
412929
7 - 11 Oct at 7:30pm Mat on 9 at 2pm Dundee Whitehall
Theatre 01382 322684
18 Oct - 2 Nov at 7:30pm Sat mats at 2:30pm Perth Theatre
01738 621031
Tour Ends
