Madeleine Girling Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★★★

“an elegant and electrifying revival”

Micheál Mac Liammóir (1899-1978) was a prodigiously talented actor, writer and director who founded the famous Gate Theatre in Dublin. In 1960 he wrote and performed a highly successful one-man show about Oscar Wilde which went on to tour the world. For many years the play was the only available theatrical presentation of the celebrated Irish writer and gay aesthete’s life.

Director Michael Fentiman, whose credits include the Watermill’s award winning musical Amélie, has delivered an elegant and electrifying revival of the show for this lively Reading theatre. It is performed by Alastair Whatley, the artistic director and founder of prize-winning Original Theatre which has made a name for itself for its pioneering work in digital theatre.

The play is delivered as a first person narrative, from a black box set by Madeleine Girling which consists of a circular daïs which is mirrored by a circle of light above. The highly effective lighting design by Chris Davey complements this satisfyingly simple design. It is matched by a subtle and highly effective sound design by composer Barnaby Race.

In a notable omission, the playwright glosses over the fact that Wilde arguably brought a criminal prosecution on himself by attempting to prove in court that he was libelled by the Marquess of Queensberry who had accused him of ‘posing as a somdomite’ (sic).

But Wilde’s brilliancy shines in extracts from ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. Alastair Whatley’s performance is both very fine and a prodigious demonstration of his powers of recall. His version of Lady Bracknell’s cross-examination of Worthing (‘To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune – to lose both seems like carelessness’.) was an absolute delight.

There is a special poignancy in hearing extracts from Wilde’s landmark letter to his lover Lord Alfred Douglas performed in Reading, since Wilde wrote it in the town’s gaol during his two year incarceration following a conviction for gross indecency. ‘De Profundis’ or ‘from the depths’ was laboriously written on 80 sheets of prison paper. It begins with self-pity but in the second half turns to humble and spiritual reflection: ‘To those who are in prison tears are a part of every day’s experience. A day in prison on which one does not weep is a day on which one’s heart is hard, not a day on which one’s heart is happy.’

The highlight of this performance was a cleverly staged rendition of Wilde’s Ballad of Reading Gaol which tells the true story of a man hanged at Reading gaol for murdering his unfaithful wife: ‘Yet each man kills the thing he loves / By each let this be heard, / Some do it with a bitter look, / Some with a flattering word, / The coward does it with a kiss, / The brave man with a sword!’

In ‘De Profundis’ Wilde writes about ‘feasting with panthers’ – a reference to his fondness for sex with underage boys, an offence for which he would still be imprisoned today. At the time, his offence was seen as immeasurably worse because they were not of his class. None of that takes away from Oscar Wilde’s greatness, which is brought to vivid life in Reading in this compelling theatrical tour de force.

The Windsors: Endgame

Prince of Wales Theatre

Reviewed – 10th August 2021

★★★

“There is no denying, however, the zest, energy, and electricity on the stage”

The Royal Family has long been prey for satirists; ever since they stopped chopping your head off for disrespectful behaviour. From eighteenth century paintings, in literature, the press; through to today’s many outlets on the small and big screen and on stage. It is only expected, and to their credit, the Royals accept it now and often go along with it. ‘Spitting Image’ aside, the most successful place them in an alternative scenario. Sue Townsend’s ‘The Queen and I’ deprives the House of Windsor of its royal status and makes them live like normal citizens, while Mike Bartlett’s sharply observant play, ‘King Charles III’, centres on the accession of King Charles and the dissolving of parliament.

“The Windsors: Endgame” follows suit with its ‘what if’ premise, although the writers George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore tackle the subject with blunter instruments. But what is lacking in nuance is made up for in humour and topicality. I confess to not having watched any of the Channel Four television series that spawned the stage transfer, but understand that the fiction was based around real life events. On stage at the (appropriately) Prince of Wales Theatre, reality seems to be constantly wandering off, only stopped short of disappearing completely by the numerous topical gags that fire through the script.

The Queen has abdicated, and Prince Charles finally gets his hands on the crown. Not without giving us a song first. Harry Enfield clearly relishes the role of the deluded Charles, with echoes of Alan Bennett’s ‘Madness of King George’. Tracy-Ann Oberman’s Camilla is one of the highlights, a mix of Cruella de Ville and Lady Macbeth. Matthew Cottle opens the evening as Edward, throwing in jokes about his stint as Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s production assistant (tea-boy). We are rapidly introduced to pretty much the whole household thereafter. It obviously focuses on Wills and Harry, Kate and Meghan; but Fergie, Andrew, Beatrice and Eugenie are all in the writers’ sightline. The feuds are as exaggerated as the characterisation and the jokes are presented with a fanfare that makes them impossible to miss.

The lack of subtlety places Michael Fentiman’s production in pantomime territory. Albeit not one for all the family. But profanity and sexual innuendo cannot really disguise the predictability of the jokes. Unfortunately, what it does disguise, even dismantles, is the potential cleverness of the plot. But then again, I am obviously missing the point and I concede gracefully, being surrounded by a packed house that is lapping up every moment.

And it has to be admitted there is a lot to cherish here, and once you’re in the mood you start enjoying it as much as the cast are. Kara Tointon and Crystal Condie are delightful as the sparring Kate and Meghan; matched by Ciarán Owens and Tom Durant-Pritchard as Wills and Harry, torn between love and duty and family responsibility (throwing in a bit of accidental wife-swapping too!). The characters on the side-lines are the more interesting: Sophie-Louise Dann is a wonderful Fergie, ultimately standing by Tim Wallers’ naughty but nice cad Andrew; while Jenny Rainsford and Eliza Butterworth are great fun to watch as Beatrice and Eugenie.

Less fun are the impromptu musical numbers which crop up incongruously, and merely serve to repeat many of the jokes that are already in danger of being wrung dry. There is no denying, however, the zest, energy, and electricity on the stage. Try as you might to find fault, you cannot help giving in eventually, and breaking into a reluctant smile. That’s when you realise you are way behind the rest of the audience who have been smiling from the start. Even if The Windsors aren’t for you, give them a break. You’re probably the odd one out.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING OSCAR at Reading Rep Theatre

★★★★★

“an elegant and electrifying revival”

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING OSCAR at Reading Rep Theatre

Reviewed on 29th May 2024

by David Woodward

Photography by Marc Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING OSCAR

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING OSCAR

Prince of Wales Theatre

Reviewed – 10th August 2021

★★★

“There is no denying, however, the zest, energy, and electricity on the stage”

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Marc Brenner

The Windsors: Endgame

Prince of Wales Theatre until 9th October

Previously reviewed this year by Jonathan: