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Wit, charm and laughs a plenty
Ish for you: Jane, played by Sara Crowe finds Julia, played by Jenny Seagrove all tied up on a call in the midst of their increasingly liquid supper with Gillian McCafferty as Saunders, standing guard in the background Fallen Angels The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton **** SOCIETY divorces and scandal in high
places was not only the stock in trade of newspapers in the 1920s but
one of the favourite topics in the withdrawing and smoking rooms of the
rich and privileged. And it was into this rich vein of indiscretion
and up-market gossip that the budding playwright, Noel Coward,
24-year-old son of a struggling piano salesman, aimed his wit and
observant eye. These days with a divorce to change husbands, or
wives, hardly more difficult that changing cars and the indiscretions of
slebs stage managed by image consultants and PR machines for the benefit
of gossip columns and slebrags the story has lost its scandal element. At its opening in 1925 the critics, of the same
newspapers, incidentally, whose bread and butter and circulations
depended upon the titivating peccadilloes of similar characters in real
life, were outraged. The Daily Express described the two female leads
as “suburban sluts” while degenerate was one of the kinder descriptions. All of which served to put a healthy number of
bums on seats at The Globe Theatre as eager patrons went along to see
what the fuss was about in an age when, under the Lord Chamberlain’s
censoring eye, sex was limited to what coal came in. The very idea of women having (whisper it) sex
before marriage was risqué to say the least in 1925, although
human nature being what it was, and is, the shame was not so much in the
act as in being caught in, or at least after the act. The story is simple opening with news of a
divorce, which is to set the scene rather than offer any significance.
Fred Sterroll (Daniel Hill) is awaiting his friend Willy Banbury (Robin
Sebastian) to head off for a boy’s only golfing weekend in Chichester. That leaves their respective wives Julia (Jenny
Seagrove) and Jane (Sara Crowe) to have a girl’s weekend at home except
they are contacted by a mutual former lover, Maurice, which sets hearts,
and other, more earthly parts of their anatomy, a fluttering. As the two friends await the arrival of the
pheromone burning old flame they slowly descend into bitchy drunkenness
with some delightful, if somewhat unsteady and slightly slurred, touched
which probably leaves Seagrove and Crowe nursing a healthy collection of
bumps and bruises night after night. Keeping order is Jasmine Saunders, the new
housekeeper, maid, cook and everything else (Gillian McCafferty)
who appears to have been everywhere, done everything and probably not
only has the t-shirt but probably made it, out of Tibetan yak’s nose
hairs, as well. Her military bearing and no nonsense style is a lovely foil to the more laid back – eventually as in comatose – style of Juila and Jane.
In their drunken state Julia and Jane compete for
the attention of Maurice, who hasn’t even turned up, ending in a huge
row while down in Chichester Fred and Willie are also having a row – not
about competing for the harms of Maurice, even Coward would not have
dared to go that far in 1925. So when Jane storms out to go to Maurice and
Willy arrives early the net morning after leaving Fred and then goes off
with Julia to to find Jane, who in turn arrives back to find Fred who
set off to find Julia, the scene is set for revelation, conclusion
jumping and skeletons coming out of closets holding cans of worms. Enter Maurice (Philip Battley) all suave, Gallic
charm with an eye, and one suspects, much else available for the ladies
and we are left with a messy ménage a cinque and if this play has a
failing, it is perhaps the end, which is a little messy in itself.
Up to that point you are carried along but the ending somehow never
quite rings true having more of a sitcom feel than the conclsion of a
play. That is not to detract from some fine
performances though with Hill and Sebastian capturing the style and airs
of the successful, if rather dull, 1920s man about town while
Gillian McCafferty gives us a real busy body know it all Saunders but
the real accolades have to go to Jenny Seagrove and Sara Crowe who give
us a wonderful picture of women of leisure, and, should we say, a past
of less than difficult virtue. The play is in three acts and the middle act,
their descent in to drunkenness is wonderfully funny with some
delightful touches, falls and cleverly observed attempts of the
inebriated to function with irrational rationality. Director Roy Marsden should be congratulated for
keeping a firm grip on a scene that could so easily have descended into
knockabout pantomime. Instead the scene moves the play on and the
gradual inebriation, always kept the right side of farce, just adds to
the humour and laughs. It all adds to what is a most enjoyable evening
of theatre. To 05-10-13. Roger Clarke Catching falling stars **** YOU can only wonder at the shock this
Noel Coward play must have given audiences when in first opened in 1925,
with two respectable ladies revealing pre-marital affairs with the same
man . . . and even considering more action behind their husbands' backs. Not so shocking in this day and age, maybe, but
Bill Kenwright's revival of the classy comedy is delighting audiences
at its Midlands premiere in the Black Country. As soon as the curtain opens to reveal a superb
set, representing the drawing room of of Fred and Julia Sterroll's plush
London flat, you feel something special is on the agenda, and so it
proves. Jenny Seagrove and Sara Crowe are a delight as
best friends Julia Sterroll and Jane Banbury whose safe but boring
marriages lead to thoughts of mischief when their husbands Fred (Daniel
Hill) and Willy (Robin Sebastian) head off for a golfing break. The impending surprise visit of their old flame,
Frenchman Maurice (Philip Battley), creates an opportunity to rekindle
past passion, but also sparks jealousy and misunderstanding between the
two ladies as they drink champagne in a hilarious drunken scene. A highly amusing performance, too, from Gillian
McCafferty as Saunders, the Sterrolls' know-all maid with the military
style arrivals,in response to a small handbell, and departures. Fallen Angels continue on the brink until
05.10.13 Paul Marston
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