Quartet

A rather wonderful depiction of the dignity, vulnerability, comedy and truth of aging, Quartet tells of life in a home for retired opera singers.  It’s all about memories, relationships, hopes and dreams, and is extremely life-affirming.

This production was excellently cast, and well directed by Brezetta Thonger. The four main characters, Cecily Robson, Reginald Paget, Wilfred Bond and Jean Horton were all clearly cut, all so different, and yet they formed a real community – their shared bond of having performed together so often over the years really came across so well.  Cecily, or Cissie, (Susie Dean) was the most vulnerable, beginning to show the first signs of dementia, yet so loveable and so fiercely protected by the two men (any sign of any kind of incapacity and one lost one’s place in the home).  Reg (Ellis Nicholls) was the very dignified, cerebral one, tolerant of the others, yet vulnerable too, especially when he hears the news that the New Arrival at the home is his ex-wife Jean.  He is totally and utterly shocked. Bernard Whelan played the jolly Wilfred to perfection. Wilfred is still extremely interested in sex, has a one-track mind, especially with regard to Cissie, and makes all kinds of smutty references, to which Cissie is oblivious, but which irritate Reg intensely. But as toleration, and community, are essential to everyone’s well-being, Reg puts up with this stoically.  A fine performance from Ellis Nicholls to bring this across so plainly. Bernard Whelan’s sense of comic timing was exquisite, he provided most of the quips, which caused much hilarity. Ronald Harwood put some wonderful lines in here, one I remember being: Time hobbles past on its own zimmerframe. But there were many more, and much chortling in the audience! 

Enter Jean, top soprano in her day. She is elegant, unsentimental, almost cold somehow, and extremely angry and frustrated to find herself forced by circumstances to enter this home.  Thus is the cosy group dynamic our trio had built up destroyed, they fear, possibly forever. Very well conveyed by all four actors.

With the plan to revive their previous triumph of performing the Quartet from Rigoletto at a Gala Concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday, they gradually form new relationships as a foursome. Jean resists the idea of the performance absolutely, then gradually thaws, until the decision is made to mime the thing. Once again they become a coherent whole.

Making do, keeping positive, making the best of the situation, making light of one’s difficulties, carrying on regardless, keeping up appearances, and above all not giving in to the aging process, that was the spirit of the evening.  Excellent!

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