Straight and Narrow

Families eh! Bob and Jeff are in a relationship which a holiday to Malta leaves in turmoil. Jeff is left considering his options after meeting Terry, a female. Does he want this relationship, does he want children? Bob on the other hand has his own erring family problems to deal with, an eyes wide ‘shut’ mother and sisters with their own varying degree of problems, (obvious ingredients when trying to write a watchable script) what a to-do!  Not the easiest of plays to perform, calling for quick-fire dialogue to maintain momentum. Cast easily achieved this along with direction which ensured concentration on the lesser roles, bringing the play together perfectly. As lynchpin to the plot, Bob (Marc Colson) drove the play on, switching from narration to character effortlessly. His clear, strong speech, thoughtful pauses and natural movement appeared relaxed and flowed around the stage, filling it at every turn. It might have been tempting for some directors to encourage some form of camp demeanour from Bob and Jeff to endorse the comedic aspect of the play; however the strength of the script stood alone with character portrayal spot on. Jeff was not allowed as much stage time as some other characters but his presence as an emotionally torn and confused individual was both sensitive and convincing. A heavily pregnant Lois, (all for the sake of art), confidently acted, what best could be described as would-be family mediator. In a role that I consider to be one of her best, Karen Macgarvie gave a depth to a character not offered much meatiness to work with. Relating well to all other cast, her interpretation was realistic and believable. To present in a constant state of acute agitation is no mean task. Nona, as the recently betrayed wife, left the audience in no doubt of her state of mind, just beware of the inclination to higher the voice with emotion, as it can make dialogue indecipherable. Illustrating the epitome of perfect casting, Vera (Janet Farrow) proved to be yet another tour de force of what was an excellent play. As the domineering matriarch who refuses to believe her son is anything but conventional, she voiced her opinionated lines, dotted with comical quips and one-liners with a skill that only can be acquired through experience and talent. The culminating emotional, heartfelt, outpouring of feelings held the audience, leaving an ‘all’s well that ends well’ termination of what best could be described as an enlightening ‘fly on the wall experience’.

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