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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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All over bar the shouting Honour Highbury Theatre Centre **** HONOUR, written in 1995 by Australian Joanna Murray-Smith, certainly gives an actor the chance to vocally clear any internal frustrations they may have. Practically all of the
characters in this marriage meltdown tale get an opportunity to let rip
in a torrent of anger and profanity at their respective co-player. It is the story of a middle aged man, George, who reaching a 32 year abyss of passionless familiarity leaves his wife, Honour, and their 24-year-old daughter, Sophie, for a younger woman Claudia. Nothing goes well and even his ideal and perfect
Claudia eventually reveals she has designs on his success and a few
emotional issues of her own. The quartet at Highbury certainly didn’t hold
back and due to the volume of certain exchanges, the arguments were
probably heard down the street from the studio theatre. It certainly
took the audience by surprise as some were seen looking at one another
as if they had been caught in the domestic crossfire. Whilst it may be shocking there is a great degree
of subtly in the writing and director Keith Hayes has done a good job of
keeping this series of continuing duologues fizzing with interest as the
marital breakdown progresses. George, a sixty-year-old man, is played by Kerry
Frater and he did a superb job of balancing the tide of emotional
contrasts in his character. Whilst Smith makes George out to be a
stereotypical older man lusting after a young woman, she does better
with her main component Honour, George’s wife, played by Susie May
Lynch.
Lynch delivered a determined and magnetic
performance and her constant intensity in her disbelief of her failing
marriage, her husband’s needs and her own largely ignored career were
handled with a great deal of confidence. Her bitter exchanges with
Frater in the central leaving scene were convincing and very intense. Enter then Claudia, George’s younger distraction
played by Louise Grifferty. A relatively new addition to the
Highbury team and she squeezed nicely into several tight and revealing
outfits to portray the seductive mistress. At times she seemed a little
at odds with her performance and occasionally struggled to achieve the
flow of dialogue with George but overall was very convincing. Finally the young daughter Sophie played by
Karrise Willetts seems to be a part that hardly relates to the others.
Although the daughter is another consideration to George leaving his
family she is put aside quickly only to turn up at Claudia’s house and
declare some sort of admiration for her clear if misguided thinking.
Miss Willetts added yet another nice performance to her credit and
completed what was an excellent play over all. Honour is definitely a play worth seeing as it
deals with so many issues of marriage, duty and ambition. You will
certainly be asking question of yourself as you watch it all play out
but if you have sensitive hearing then maybe take some ear plugs. To
01-02-14. Jeff Grant |
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