STEEL MAGNOLIAS

Robert Harling’s STEEL MAGNOLIAS is set in Truvy Jones’ Beauty Shop in Chinquapin, Louisiana, and is based upon the author’s own experience of his sister’s sad demise at the age of only 33. It deals with four pieces of the lives of six women: Four wealthy friends; an employee in the salon and one of the four’s daughters. We are shown their deep friendship as they interact through a wedding, Christmas, the birth of a child and finally the death of a daughter. It is, in parts, desperately sad, but mostly very funny and always poignant. The lines are so insightful and so beautifully written, it is a play that all genders can relate to.

The set, designed by Director Vicki Lockey, built by Andy Gilmore, Chris Young and Tony Hall, beautifully dressed by Beccy Gilmore, Alex Heppell and Julie Hope was amazing. Running water, real hair dryers and superb props really brought the whole piece to life. Costumes also designed by Vicki and realised by Judith Bell, Anne Hogg and Pat Stevens were perfectly appropriate. Complimentary wigs and hair styling from Chris Carr and his Splinters Team, with input from Church Hairdressing and the Land Of Green Ginger all conspired to make this technically demanding play a comfort to witness. Sound and lighting by Andy Gilmore and James Elliott was equally complimentary and the icing on a very tasty cake.

This is the very embodiment of an ensemble piece with the supporting cast consisting only of Glenn Kingston as the Radio DJ. The play opens with Annelle Dupuy-Desoto being given the job in Truvy’s salon. Compared to all the other parts, we see more development with this than any other. Gemma Murtagh was confident with her characterisation and always looked to be in the right place at the right time.

Ali Broughton as Truvy Jones has an awful lot of the dialogue and often in small chunks spread around the page. Her delivery was delightful and she looked comfortable with the difficult script, even during the convincing hairdressing routines.

Anne Leake’s Clairee Belcher was, in my opinion superbly underplayed. She may have appeared the least interesting of all on stage, but played a vital part in the salon. Her reactions during some of her long silences were superb and she was always there with her stylish interventions, no matter how long it had been since her last.

In complete contrast, the part of Ouiser Boudreaux is the major comedy role and Christine Coaster played her almost to perfection. Her cranky and brutal honesty shone through and her ‘put-downs’ were sharp and pointed. A single prompt on the night I was there was evident, but didn’t diminish her performance.

M’Lynn Eatenton is a pivotal role. She comments and observes from a parental perspective and then, the whole play hangs on her final tragic and emotional monologue. As Fiona Jones delivered it, and the tears ran down my cheeks, the auditorium was so quiet all I could hear was my heart breaking! A sublime piece of acting. Well done Fiona.

Last, but certainly not least, we come to the one performance that, for me, stood out from the rest and in a cast of this quality, that is quite an achievement. Rachel Hardy as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie was that performer. Wow!  What an actress. A captivating performance and an impeccable southern accent that did not slip at any time during the play. She commanded the stage whenever she was on it and demonstrated the optimism, pragmatism and resignation of a privileged southern princess who had everything but her health. I knew she was going to die, but those who didn’t will have fallen in love with her and will have been devastated. A remarkable performance for which many congratulations are due.

Director Vicki Lockey deserves every ounce of praise for her handling of this poignant and highly technical piece. You realise early on that there is a theoretical salon mirror in front of the performers, between them and the audience, and I simply marvelled at the accuracy of the angles as the characters communicated with each other through the ‘reflection’. You tend to get to know these things when you were married to a hairdresser for over 30 years!.

Thanks for the invitation and a wonderful experience from both Regional Councillor Peter and myself. We had a great night.

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