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Eh . . .
what’s up,
doc?
Harvey
Birmingham Rep
****
BEING one of the few people who has not seen
the 1950 classic film version of Mary Chase's play Harvey, this quirky
tale of a man and his imaginary rabbit pal is a new one to me. An
unlikely concept perhaps, but a charming one nevertheless. Imaginary
characters, or Pookas to give them their real name, are nothing new.
Children's stories, especially, are full of invisible beings that play
delightful havoc with the minds of young readers. The Pooka in this story is
Harvey, a six foot two-and-a-half inch white rabbit living clearly in
the mind of the amiable Elwood P Dowd (James Dreyfuss). While a perfectly normal
addition to the family
The charm of this particular kind of comedy is that it's not rushed. The humour lies not in fast
and cheap gags, but in unfolding situations and strong characterisation.
At times the dialogues and pace feels filmic, but is none the worse for
that. Taking the elephant (or rabbit) out of the room, this is, of course, a play with a message. Fluffy bunnies and gentle
comedy aside, this is piece that asks some pretty serious questions
about mental health and the concept of what normal really is. Elwood is
perfectly happy and seemingly not away with the fairies in any
way. He simply shares his life with an imaginary friend - something
countless children do.
He may, then, be childlike and
even eccentric but hardly deserving of electric shock treatment simply
because society sees such behaviour as unacceptable. Things of course
have moved on in the world of mental health but the questions the play
asks on perception of normality and who has the right to interfere,
still ring true. A strong cast and a
beautifully flowing set by Peter McKintosh combine to make this a stand
out evening for a clearly entranced audience. Maureen Lipman oozes
effortless humour as the worried sister, Veta Louise Simmons. A master
class in both timing and delivery. James Dreyfuss retains the
huge ' likeability' of Elwood P Dowd - a man who offers no danger
whatsoever and takes life simply and in his stride. No easy task,
performing with what he believes is an oversized rabbit by his side, but
huge credit to Dreyfus for achieving it. David Bamber is wonderfully
manic as Dr Chumley - a character with considerably more stress than
Elwood, it seems. Harvey, directed by Lindsay
Posner, is something of a gem and a real asset to the Rep's eclectic programme. Take time to smile and reflect! To 21-02-15 Tom Roberts
10-02-15
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Elwood, Harvey is not quite so loved or understood by his sister, Veta
(Maureen Lipman) or niece, Myrtle (Ingrid Oliver). So worried are they,
in fact, that they take it on themselves to seek psychiatric help for
Elwood's eccentricities. The misunderstandings that follow give rise to
some wonderfully comic moments.