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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Mary, Mary is quite . . . riveting
The tension mounts in The Anniversary under the watchful eye and thumb of the vile matriarch (Mary Whitehouse) The Anniversary Sutton
Arts Theatre, Sutton Coldfield ***** MAKING her first appearance here, Mary
Whitehouse is Mum – the menace-filled matriarch and widow who is one of
the vilest characters in theatre. It is one hell of a way to introduce
yourself to a new audience. On the other hand, Mum,
packed to the eyebrows with evil intent, is no stranger to Mary, who has
also played her for She does not swear. She is not violent, but she
does have a sinister smile – and she rules her three grown-up sons with
unfailing certitude. If anyone crosses her, however justified the
reason, she exacts her own specialist form of revenge and watches the
transgressor squirm. She is not in any circumstances to be mistaken for
a pleasant person or a ray of sunshine. She smiles to sinister effect. She gives Mary Whitehouse the opportunity of a
memorable début and the result is often riveting. Her family is
hapless in her hands – and it is a family brought together by director
Vida Green and earning top marks in a first-class production. The
occasion is the annual one, when Mum insists that the family joins her
on the anniversary of her husband's death. One of them blames the house
for the all-pervading anguished atmosphere.
Eldest son Henry (Richard Aucott) is the one with
a secret; the one who is apt to walk at high speed with head down and
small steps. Embarrassment is all-consuming. Terry (Mark Nattrass) is
completely cowed. He plans to flee to Somebody points out that Mum became fond of Dad
only after he had been laid out – and when Mum is delivering her eulogy
in memory of her late husband, Terry's down-turned mouth is reminiscent
of theatre's mask of tragedy. Here is a son who is clearly fed up to the
back teeth but terrified by his own presumption in proposing to escape. And Tom (Tomos Frater), the least inhibited of
the three, has an unexpected falling-out with new girlfriend Karen – a
lovely portrayal by Faye Hatch – in a spat that playwright Bill
MacIlwraith has created without managing to make it ring true.
Fortunately, it is resolved almost as soon as it starts. Karen is
visiting the house and meeting Mum for the first time, and able to
reinforce the only serious resistance to Mum that is being provided by
the feisty Shirley (Aimée Hall). The story unfolds in estuary English, full of
glottal stops and double negatives, with a splendid company that has
been given the set it deserves by a talented team of nine. A pleasing
surprise is the curtains that open and close at the touch of a button. I
don't remember seeing the effect onstage before. John Slim |
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