Ladies in Lavender

Dear reader, these are depressing times culturally speaking. One might be so pessimistic as to wonder if we aren't in the middle of a new theatrical Dark Age, where every play an amateur society does has to be an adaptation of a TV sitcom. Thank goodness then for the Arts Club for shining a light of hope into the gloomy corners of quotidian banality. It's always a pleasure to attend a production at Blackburn Arts Club: the commitment to top quality productions and the diverse range of entertainment served up on a regular basis never fails to impress and here was another excellent offering from award-winning director Therese Ball and her equally talented team at the Clubhouse theatre.

'Ladies in Lavender' is a gentle - one might almost say genteel - little drama which tells of the impact made on the lives of two elderly sisters by an unconscious stranger who washes up on a beach near their Cornish cottage. The burnishing of long dormant emotions was very well expressed by the players at the Arts Club and the drama unfolded in an a compelling and intriguing way which belied the slightness of the tale's subject matter. The most immediately impressive aspect of the production was the set; had someone told me that this play necessitates a set which which will suggest both floors of a Cornish cottage, the cottage garden, a beach (etc) I would have wondered at the sanity of whoever had suggested this dramatic enterprise in the limited space available at the Clubhouse Theatre. My worries would have been for naught however as the staging of this production was another triumph. The way that different areas of the stage were cleverly put together to suggest different spaces in the drama was quite breathtakingly good. The limited playing space was arranged brilliantly and the whole piece flowed smoothly due to both the excellence of the set design and the deeply persuasive performances of the the cast: drawing an audience in to what's happening and really making us a part of the world of the drama unfolding before us is very much Therese Ball's stock in trade.

Alison Bell and Anne Starks excelled as Ursula and Janet Widdington, the sisters whose lives are changed by the discovery of Andrea, the young Polish violinist who has been swept overboard and washed ashore on a beach near the sisters' cottage. Along with their straight-talking housekeeper Dorcas, the mysterious Olga Danilov and love-lorn Doctor Mead, the sisters are taken with this young stranger and his unexpected presence affects all of their lives. Alison Bell brought a humorous, delicate touch to Ursula, the sister who is most taken with young Andrea with Anne Starks bringing a more worldly and practical air to the role of Janet. Together, they made a good team on stage as their relationship was very well expressed; one could believe that these characters had a history and a routine together which aided enormously in bringing the audience in to their world. No-nonsense housekeeper Dorcas was a vivid creation from Tammy Mason - complete with a rather good Cornish accent which wasn't overdone and therefore much more effective - and her presence added a much welcome addition to the piece, giving an insight into the everyday domestic of life in the household which added an extra layer of interest to the drama. The social 'pecking-order' and the insight into domestic household politics was very nicely expressed. Martyn Pugh was a study in quiet bewilderment as Andrea, the Polish violinist being nursed back to life by the Widdington sisters, and the simple confusions which were thrown up by the language barrier came across well. Martyn's characterisation was very good, managing to suggest a mysterious hidden dignity alongside his love of music which made for an intriguing first act. Geoff Baron brought a very sympathetic touch to the role of Dr Mead, taking us with him on his transformation from fussy country doctor to smitten romantic. The object of the good doctor's affections, the mysterious Olga, was played by Jacqui Mooney with a taste of the exotic which was also very well realised. With all the players assembled in the first act, it seemed that the drama might head off in an intriguing direction and the answers to various questions which were thrown out from the narrative might be resolved in a number of ways: the essence of a satisfying drama.

To return to the staging of the drama, it was positively hypnotic to see a very real and human drama unfold with such skill and which led to the inevitable 'staginess' of a theatrical production melting away in the presence of a talented cast, expertly directed, on a beautifully well crafted stage. Many of the touches which made a virtue of the possible limitations of the drama (one thinks of the scenes in the garden and on the beach; the touching finale; those moments in the sitting room; the bedroom scenes...) really drew the audience in and made this simple tale into a fable-like meditation on the vagaries of the heart. This was a very well judged production which managed to entertain without dipping into the soggy waters of sentimentality, or attempt to sensationalise the subject matter in any way. One of the abiding tenets of drama at the Arts Club appears to be to let the subject matter breathe naturally and to let the audience find its own way through the piece and here was another very good example. Alison Bell's reading of the role of Ursula in particular was touchingly straightforward and provided a strong centre to the drama.

It has to be said that there were a few technical glitches, particularly with sound, on the evening I attended but it was opening night and it wasn't particularly desperate: that said, there was on the other hand a good deal of well chosen music to add an extra dimension to the piece. The period setting was effectively realised, with well chosen costumes adding to the overall picture.

'Ladies in Lavender' is certainly not a drama to turn to for a thrusting, avant garde theatrical take on challenging themes. This genteel dramatic offering has much to say on themes which are commonly shared and which unfolds in an appealing way: when given the usual gold standard treatment from the talented gang at the Arts Club, success is assured. My sincere thanks go to all at the Clubhouse theatre for the usual warm welcome and yet another excellent evening's entertainment.

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