WHITE CHRISTMAS

The Mill at Sonning

★★★★

“There is a simplicity to the evening that allows the storytelling and the inherent values of its message shine through”

The rain is falling from a dark, wintry sky and storm Darragh is rumbling away in the near distance heralding its arrival across the home counties. But down at the Mill at Sonning, tucked away in a nook by the river, one’s dreams of a White Christmas are being granted – if only for a few hours. Step over the threshold and you are indeed stepping right into the festive season. Just like the ones we used to know.

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen the Crosby and Kaye movie over the years, Jonathan O’Boyle’s revival of the stage version is as fresh as it is familiar. Jason Kajdi and Connor Hughes as Bob Wallace and Phil Davies – the former WWII soldiers turned celebrity double-act – share the same infectious camaraderie as Bing and Danny, but with a more youthful, wide-eyed approach to the world around them. Their bond is a prime example of ‘opposites attract’. Hughes’ Phil cannot get enough of the fairer sex (are you allowed to use that term these days?) while Kajdi steers his character away from love like sheltering from the “unpredictable, irresponsible, unbelievable, unreliable” weather.

The plot, slim as it is, and characterisation (rich as it is) come across with clarity through the fine voices of the cast. The duo recruit sisters, Betty and Judy (Gabriella Williams and Nic Myers), into their act, sweeping the four of them into a tangled romance that forms the backbone of the comedy. They end up in Vermont, New York, at a Christmas holiday lodge run by their old Major General from the army (Mark Curry). The former general sank his life savings into the inn but has fallen on hard times as the lack of snow is keeping his customers away. Hatching a plan to save his business, and restore his self-esteem, Bob and Phil trigger a series of misunderstandings and near break-ups with the girls before realisation and reconciliation comes to the rescue. You get the idea. O’Boyle’s trim and elegant staging will give you a much better idea.

There is a simplicity to the evening that allows the storytelling and the inherent values of its message shine through. Jason Denvir’s uncluttered sets, with David Howe’s lighting are all about atmosphere. This is a show that creates moods rather than spectacle and is all the more heart-warming for these choices. As the sister act, Williams and Myers match the boys’ chemistry, exemplified in the iconic number ‘Sisters’ (also beautifully and hilariously parodied by Bob and Phil). Irving Berlin’s music and lyrics are served well by the core cast and the ensemble who handle the dynamics of the score with ease, from the razzmatazz to the intimate. An unseen seven-piece band perfectly follows – and leads – the highs and lows of Berlin’s melodies and lyricism. All the favourites are all there: ‘Happy Holiday’, Love and the Weather’, ‘The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing’, ‘I Love a Piano’… and so on. A star turn by Shirley Jameson as Martha, the holiday inn’s housekeeper, lifts her solo number ‘Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun’ into one of the highlights.

The production is in no rush, and the first act shows tentative signs of outstaying its welcome. However, we are in no rush at all for the evening to reach its sugar-coated but deliciously festive and heart-warming finale. We are too busy being drawn into the comfort and joy of the performances. There are no surprises. We know exactly what’s beneath the wrapping. But it is all we could have wished for. It may still be raining outside, but inside the Mill at Sonning it is snowing. Our dreams of a White Christmas have come true indeed. The show is a dream.

WHITE CHRISTMAS at The Mill at Sonning

Reviewed on 6th December 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BEDROOM FARCE | ★★★★ | August 2024

THREE MEN IN A BOAT | ★★★ | June 2024

CALENDAR GIRLS | ★★★★ | April 2024

HIGH SOCIETY | ★★★★ | December 2023

IT’S HER TURN NOW | ★★★ | October 2023

GYPSY | ★★★★★ | June 2023

TOP HAT | ★★★★ | November 2022

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK | ★★★★ | July 2022

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★★★★

“A stupendous performance … witty and moving”

Set conflicts, long lived feuds and a peek in the life of the big Hollywood stars. After series like Ryan Murphy’s Feud and Hollywood started swarming the media, it’s clear that audiences want to see what unfolds behind the camera lens. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford had a complicated professional relationship that had its ups and downs (mainly its downs). In Bette and Joan by Anton Burge, the actress and the movie star face each other in a battle for dominance.

The show begins with them introducing themselves and giving us a taste of their personalities in their respective dressing rooms. The exposition is necessary, but also tiring, especially if one’s familiar with the stars and their lives. But actors Greta Scacchi (who plays Bette Davis) and Felicity Dean (who plays Joan Crawford) are doing an excellent job of keeping us intrigued and absolutely hooked. They’re getting ready to shoot a scene of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, the famous picture that brought them back to the spotlight and skyrocketed both of their careers once again. The second half seems to be somewhat similar to the first, offering some electrifying moments between the actresses and some touching monologues about their respective personal lives.

It’s a trip down memory lane, which is enjoyable, but doesn’t really lead anywhere. Capturing the vast range of this relationship in two hours is impossible, but under the direction of Sue Jenkins, the actors’ great performances make us step out of the auditorium gratified. The tricky detail about this production is that it’s not enough to portray the real people accurately, but find the sweet spot of hostility and antagonism. Scacchi and Dean succeed triumphantly, as we see them separately, but also interacting, their dynamic full of fire that brings laughter to the audience. The way Dean inhabits the viper-like lady who’s always ready to strike while keeping up appearances and sticking to good manners is mesmerising, with every hand gesture being refined and elegant. Through her monologue about Crawford’s mother and upbringing she shows her highly skilled craft, contrasting Scacchi’s direct and confrontational approach.

The set, designed by Neil Gordon, is magnificent, one of the highlights of the show I dare say. A double dressing room with little details that make each side unique and that brings out the theme of duality. After all, the two stars might come from different backgrounds, but they have more in common than they want to admit, fighting bravely to make it in a cruel industry, where youth and money is one’s currency. Lighting, designed by Joe Pilling, is an interesting mixture of vanity mirror light bulbs and spotlights that focuses the audience’s attention to the appropriate side of the stage, making it easier to follow the narrative. Pip Thurlow’s sound design is minimal, which is exactly what this piece needs as we’re focusing on the words rather than distracting stylisations.

A stupendous performance that remind us that under all the glamour of Hollywood’s golden era, actors are still people, capable of being petty, competitive and deeply vulnerable. The show is witty and moving, even if at times one wishes we’d get more scenes with the actors being together, in order to get a better taste of their relationship.

WHITE CHRISTMAS

The Mill at Sonning

★★★★

“There is a simplicity to the evening that allows the storytelling and the inherent values of its message shine through”

WHITE CHRISTMAS at The Mill at Sonning

Reviewed on 6th December 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

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BETTE & JOAN

Park Theatre

★★★★

“A stupendous performance … witty and moving”

BETTE & JOAN at Park Theatre

Reviewed on 5th December 2024

by Stephanie Christodoulidou

Photography by Simon Annand

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BETTE & JOAN

BETTE & JOAN