It's a Wonderful Life

Everybody's second-favourite cockle-warming Christmas classic (Alastair Sim’s ‘Scrooge’ must surely be an immovable fixture at the number one spot, or is that just me?!) was given a very novel airing at the Hippodrome on a less than seasonally appropriate June evening to a very appreciative audience. Presented as a radio play, here was a remarkably successful and novel experience which will hopefully lead others to explore the format on stage too. My heartiest congratulations go to all at the Hippodrome for producing a most interesting and entertaining evening and for trying something different which really worked.

The audience was treated to an authentic recreation of a 1940s US radio studio, complete with an ‘old school’ sound effects area (boots on gravel; squeaky door; wind machine etc) - about which, more later - and some pleasingly period microphones placed in front of the actors’ chairs. ‘On Air’ and ‘Applause’ signs hung neatly above the playing space and were a signal that the audience was to play an (agreeably) limited role in proceedings too. An (uncredited?) real life George Bailey appeared to prepare the audience for the arrival of everyone’s favourite radio announcer, Freddy Filmore (a relaxed and confident Richard Sanderson) who prepared us for the entertainment to come in suitably 1940s tones and the cast was introduced as they made their way to the stage. This was a welcome and well worked opening and, as all our performers were playing a multiplicity of roles - actors, playing actors, playing a number of roles in the radio play - both the performance pressures on their shoulders and the audience’s expectations were high.

As the plot of ‘Its a Wonderful Life’ is surely imprinted on everyone's consciousness (everyone with access to a television set around Christmas time anyway!) I shan't waste words on giving a précis of the story here: suffice to say, the tale is a life-affirming fable which makes its point very well and wears its heart on its sleeve as it does so. We travel - by the magic of radio - to the town of Bedford Falls and the life story of George Bailey is played out for us. As George finds himself at the brink of suicide, we see all the good he has done in the world - quite unwittingly - via the agency of an angelic visitor who shows George how much better off the world is with him in it. All of our performers on stage were playing multiple roles and the conceit of having each performer play a radio actor who was then playing a series of different characters in the drama worked incredibly well, adding a satisfying layer of engagement to the piece.

The always indefatigable Blue Blezard gave a typically enthusiastic performance as Jake Laurents/George Bailey and really threw himself body and soul into the evening’s entertainment. He really embraced the spirit of the event and provided a very physical interpretation of the character(s) he presented before us. Blue is very much a performer one needs to experience in the flesh (if you see what I mean!) rather than as an ethereal radio voice and he gave a very strong reading of the character: I'd go so far as to say that this was the best performance I've seen Blue give on stage. He really delivered as George Bailey in what was a very sympathetic performance indeed and suited his characterisation to fit the role perfectly. Ken Horsfield was as magisterial as ever as Philip Arnold/ Clarence, the angel who gives George a trip through the possible alternative ‘Bailey-free’ universe; David Riley gave an impressively ‘period’ performance as Dayton Parker/ Uncle Billy; Darren Williams was particularly good as Harry Haywood/ Mr Potter; Jessica Baldersone impressed hugely as always as Sally Applewhite/ Mary; Jill Harrison was just as superb as she always is as Julie Lester, giving life to a host of characters in the play and Marina Butterworth was quite excellent as Lana Sherwood, again, giving voice to a range of characters. With the exception of Blue Blezard (who had more than enough on his plate as Jake Laurents/ George Bailey) all of the performers - including our resident announcer Freddie Filmore - played multiple roles in the radio drama and the versatility of the team in creating a host of different characters was very well done. To do justice to each and every performance in full would require far more space than I have here in my show report: it is worth stressing however that here was a uniformly excellent team who pulled out all the stops to create something memorably different.

The crack sound effects team - crunching the gravel, squeaking the door hinges and rustling up a snowstorm with aplomb - was made up of Helen Spencer and Orm Green (with a smidgeon of assistance now and again from Stevan Manley on the sound desk) and added a much appreciated dimension to the drama. It was this element of the show - coupled with the potential for some arch and ironic performances - which made me wonder if the production was intending to head in the direction of pastiche or send-up. The possibilities were certainly there for a humorous take on the story, perhaps in the manner of the recent stage version of ‘The 39 Steps’, which would make merry with the old fashioned milieu and deliver a feeling of tongue in cheek staginess. I think the decision to play it straight - and let the inherent humour and light-hearted elements in the piece emerge at their own pace - was spot on and allowed the audience to let its imagination fill in the gaps, having the effect of tailoring the entertainment to each individual’s own separate and individual taste: a master-stroke of the director’s art from first-time director Stevan Manley.

This was a wonderful production which scored on every level. I dearly hope that it will act as an example for other societies to attempt something different and steer clear of the crowd pleasing banalities offered up by churning out one TV sit-com adaptation after another. The opportunities offered up with live entertainment to both challenge and entertain should be explored in such a fashion as this far more often, rather than have us suffer a conveyor belt of endless attempts at recreating hoary old TV shows on stage. My congratulations go to everyone at the Hippodrome for a memorable evening at the theatre and for the customary hospitality in warm and pleasant surroundings: ‘It's a Wonderful Life’ indeed when filled with pleasures such as these. 

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