The Stables Theatre and Arts Centre
The Bourne, Hastings
East Sussex TN34 3BD
01424 423221
The Bourne, Hastings
East Sussex TN34 3BD
01424 423221
Quartet
By Ronald Harwood
A Stables Theatre production
Directed by Peter Mould
21–29 November 2008
Reviewed by Penny Jeffries
By Ronald Harwood
A Stables Theatre production
Directed by Peter Mould
21–29 November 2008
Reviewed by Penny Jeffries
In Quartet, Ronald Harwood’s themes are: facing up to old age with its gradual decline and loss of facility, making the most of the time one has left and coming to terms with the past with celebration and without bitterness.
In a retirement home for opera singers, Reginald, Wilfred and Cissy are established residents living comfortably as a little clique. Their routine is shattered by the arrival of Jean, who considers herself a much bigger star and was once married to Reginald. With plans in motion for a gala concert to mark Verdi’s Birthday, the four are manoeuvred into reprising their triumphant youthful recording of the Rigoletto quartet. Since one of them is now unable to sing at all, this requires ingenuity on the part of the erstwhile performers. Symbolizing the compromise that many aspects of their lives now include, they produce a finale to the birthday show by lip-syncing to their recording.
Quartet needed assured actors and sparkling ensemble to convey the action, poignancy and humour of the piece, and in all these areas it succeeded. Ian Klemen brought out Wilfred’s natural warmth exceedingly well, delivering ripe innuendo without sounding crass or creepy. Alongside Wilfred was Maxine Roach as Cissy, a sympathetic figure, well able to hold her own in company while slipping into dementia—a difficult subject to act with a light touch. These endearing characters contrasted with Alan Bucksey’s portrayal of the more brittle Reginald, whose urbanity disappeared in the face of things beyond his control; the lack of lime marmalade at breakfast conjuring up impressive raging and stamping. These residents’ rapport was in juxtaposition to the standoffish new arrival Jean, played by Julia Dance, who gradually softened to her new circumstances despite holding to the view she had come down in the world.
The climax is nearly derailed by Cissy’s mental return to the India of her youth. And although the glory of the triumph is tempered by her probable expulsion for dementia, their moving finale is an affirmation that life is to be lived to the full and to its end.
The production’s costumes, hand props, and effective split-stage set added greatly to the pleasure and quality of the whole piece, and under the direction of Peter Mould, the play and the audience were very well served.
In a retirement home for opera singers, Reginald, Wilfred and Cissy are established residents living comfortably as a little clique. Their routine is shattered by the arrival of Jean, who considers herself a much bigger star and was once married to Reginald. With plans in motion for a gala concert to mark Verdi’s Birthday, the four are manoeuvred into reprising their triumphant youthful recording of the Rigoletto quartet. Since one of them is now unable to sing at all, this requires ingenuity on the part of the erstwhile performers. Symbolizing the compromise that many aspects of their lives now include, they produce a finale to the birthday show by lip-syncing to their recording.
Quartet needed assured actors and sparkling ensemble to convey the action, poignancy and humour of the piece, and in all these areas it succeeded. Ian Klemen brought out Wilfred’s natural warmth exceedingly well, delivering ripe innuendo without sounding crass or creepy. Alongside Wilfred was Maxine Roach as Cissy, a sympathetic figure, well able to hold her own in company while slipping into dementia—a difficult subject to act with a light touch. These endearing characters contrasted with Alan Bucksey’s portrayal of the more brittle Reginald, whose urbanity disappeared in the face of things beyond his control; the lack of lime marmalade at breakfast conjuring up impressive raging and stamping. These residents’ rapport was in juxtaposition to the standoffish new arrival Jean, played by Julia Dance, who gradually softened to her new circumstances despite holding to the view she had come down in the world.
The climax is nearly derailed by Cissy’s mental return to the India of her youth. And although the glory of the triumph is tempered by her probable expulsion for dementia, their moving finale is an affirmation that life is to be lived to the full and to its end.
The production’s costumes, hand props, and effective split-stage set added greatly to the pleasure and quality of the whole piece, and under the direction of Peter Mould, the play and the audience were very well served.
Also in this section >
Photographs > www.artypharty.com
A selection of production photographs from the 1950s to the present is available at our photographer Peter Mould’s website.
A selection of production photographs from the 1950s to the present is available at our photographer Peter Mould’s website.
