THE ACTRESS

A very true-to-life interpretation of an actress coping with her final performance, so many references that rang bells!   I enjoyed the play, the way the actors interacted with each other and the various relationships.

The Maltings is always a difficult venue, in that it is a flat space that does not give much scope for scenery as such, however I appreciated the fact that scenes were well set out with the thought that went into the props, and costumes, which were all very suitable, echoing the characters’ persona, and allowing them good movement round the stage.  I would have liked to see a few more colours in the costumes, I understand the dresser should be in black, but other ladies could have gone for a colour albeit dark (such as navy), just to create a slightly more lively feel.

It was small touches that created the feeling of the dressing room and how the cast reacted to each other, for example the drinks trolley ‘business’ between Harriet and Paul, and Charles dozing off – these small touches added a semblance of reality, which I appreciated.

I liked the performance of The Cherry Orchard as if we were backstage, which carried on the effect of the dressing room, meaning that the audience were observing everything from backstage – I don’t know if this was a script direction or not, but it worked well.

Elaine Hartless was Lydia, the ageing actress giving her final performance.  A full-on part, meaning she was on stage more or less the whole time, but Elaine carried it off well, showing very diverse emotions, and different relationships with other cast members – very well done.

Clare Waller as Kathryn her dresser, showed a very empathetic person, who knew her place and her actress and how to deal with her – nicely achieved.

Ruth Ling played Lydia’s daughter Nicole, showing her slight intolerance with her mother, but also creating the feel of the underlying love and tolerance towards her mother – a very real portrayal.

Louise Warner, in her first on stage role since school, created Margaret, the worried and eager to please Theatre Manager – trying to do what the Director wanted, and her exasperation when not everyone kowtowed to his needs!   Very well done.

Malcolm Coakley as Paul, Lydia’s ex-husband, gave us an animated performance, showing his belief that he was God’s gift….!  I really enjoyed what Malcolm achieved, and the contrast between him and Charles! 

David Martin played Charles, Lydia’s fiancé, an older man looking to spirit her off to retirement and a quiet life in Geneva – I enjoyed the relationship, the care and sometimes a flash of irritation, well-gaged and a different dimension to the other characters.

Finally – Shelley Healy was Lydia’s agent – what a fun, energetic performance, going through the whole range of emotions, from joy to woe at the realisation that her ‘meal ticket’ was coming to an end.   So well done – and a good contrast to the other more reasonable ladies in the cast!

All in all a good evening’s entertainment, good characterisations, and lovely to catch up with the Director and cast members

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