Women
On The Verge Of HRT
- touring
Writer - Marie Jones
Director - Anna Newell
Designer -Suzanne Field
Additional Music and Musical Direction - David Goodall
Company - Borderline Theatre Company
Venues for end of tour -
9
May - at 7:30pm macRobert, Stirling
10 May - at 7:30pm Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy
11 & 12 May - at 7:30pm Gaiety Theatre, Ayr 01292 611222
15-19 May - at 7:30pm Citizens's Theatre, Glasgow 0141 429 0022
Tour ends
Reviewer - Thelma Good
Irish Daniel O'Donnell gives a lot of women a good night out singing
songs of love and loss, and they love him for it. Marie Jones, (Stones
in his Pockets), has two of his Belfast fans staying in his hotel
in Donegal, escaping their humdrum lives for just a weekend. Vera, played
with glorious comic skill by Lindy Whiteford has been traded
in for a younger model by husband Dessie, and is angry, so angry. Grace
Glover gives a mocking humorous spirit to Vera's friend, Anna. She
is still married to Marty, not quite totally lost in romance novels
and Daniel's songs.
Vera and Anna have wonderful Irish tongues on them and deliver lines
which have the audience roaring in recognition. If you ever wondered
what your wife, mother, aunt, divorcee down the road thinks about herself,
men, other women ageing, Jones has plenty of info to give you. And it's
served up by this cast with good comic timing. Rod Young plays
the seemly innocent waiter Fergal getting just right that kind of caring
man who could be creepy but isn't. Fergal brings magic back into the
two women's lives. The play has songs through and radio mikes appear
from the most surprising places with dance routines of suitable tackiness.
The first act is particularly good, witty and yet making strong points.
I am less enamoured of the way the fantasy second act was staged. The
clumsy set draws too much attention to the overly contrived scenes where
Vera and Anna under the spell of Donegal conjure up the people they
want to speak or shout at. A more stylish set would work better, and
enable the underlying sadness to underscore the humour. But overall
it's a good night out, with a lotta laughs as Cilla would say and an
affectionate portrayal of women feeling steered towards the verge.
© Thelma Good 9 May 2001
