The Last Tango in Whitby

Mike Harding is a well-known singer/songwriter come writer who has written over 40 books and plays, many of which are comedy centred. Born in Manchester, Harding has spent most of his life in the Yorkshire Dales.

This play, “The Last Tango in Whitby”, takes place in Whitby in the 1980’s and features a minimal set and open performance space. Director Nina Jarram took a more modern approach with her production by incorporating multimedia projections as the backdrop for the scenes which seamlessly transitioned to the various locations required throughout including the pier, hotel and coach. Scene changes were swift and well-rehearsed with many taking place in full view with the cast dancing across the stage as they set the next scene. Sound and lighting played an important role in these changes with many popular, recognisable songs helping to move the action forwards.

Director Nina had some nice imaginative ideas throughout and one that particularly stood out was the memory of Arthur. Pat, played by Jenny Jarvis, reminisces over her late husband as the cast around her moved into formation for a beautiful movement section, featuring the music of Madonna, as images of their life were displayed on the screen behind. This added a deeper level of realism to the story which drew the audience in and allowed them to connect more deeply with Pat.

All cast have clearly spent a great deal of time rehearsing their northern accents which were key to this piece given its setting. It must be said that Richard Haighton, Henry, had a spot on accent and brought huge amounts of comedy to the production throughout. His story telling had the audiences in stitches and it really reminded me of my grandad when he tells stories from days gone by. 

Traditionally this play features a lot of traditional ballroom dances though in an attempt to bring this play slightly more up to date many of these songs were switched out for recognisable and popular songs such as “The Lambeth Walk”, “The Oki Coki”, and an audience favourite “The Time Warp”. I feel this was a good choice as the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy these song choices and it perhaps avoided the huge task of trying to learn highly complex ballroom and Latin dances. That said Jarram has clearly spent a great deal of time running the cast through their paces and the dances were full of energy and fun.

All the cast worked well together and were very convincing as a tight-knit group on holiday who were intent on enjoying the hotel where entertainment was provided by Phil and Edna, David Green and Ruth Thomas. Jarvis as Pat, the recently widowed central role, was very believable as she was torn between her loyalty to her deceased husband and her feelings for Phil. Many in the audience would feel an empathy with her concerns about the future. The chemistry between Pat and Phil was strong and they brought a tremendous amount of believability to their roles.

Costume choices were suitable for the time period with a few additions in the fancy dress scene which made the audience roar with laughter.

Overall a great evening was had by all and the comedy in Harding’s writing really shone through. I look forward to seeing you again later in the year at the Drum Theatre for Macbeth.

 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.