The Weekend

A play by Michael Palin should guarantee some laughs, and in that respect The Phoenix Theatre Company’s version of ‘The Weekend’ did not disappoint. But bubbling below the surface is a family close to meltdown after decades of communication problems. ‘Stephen Febble’, the patriarch of the family, is a cantankerous misanthrope whose double whiskies are laced with sarcasm. When his long-suffering wife, ‘Virginia’, announces that their daughter is coming for the weekend with her family, and that the neighbours are popping round for dinner, it pushes ‘Stephen’ to a new peak of world-weary cynicism. This is a social gathering doomed from the very beginning.

A capacity audience at the Phoenix Theatre was welcomed with an excellent fixed set, of the lounge / dining room of the Febble household  in 1994, with French doors opening to the garden. During most of the scene changes, which included complete changes of table settings for different meals for the family undertaken smoothly by the stage management team, background music of ‘That’s Life’ by Frank Sinatra was played, which was most appropriate. Even Jenniffer Wood in an early but brief appearance as the cleaner ‘Mrs Finlay’, was put to good use later assisting with the scene changes!

The central character, ‘Stephen’ was played with great panache by Tim Betts, without a good word for anything or anybody, especially when he hears the family are coming to stay for the weekend to be joined by a couple of friends for dinner. He hasn’t forgotten the time when his daughter and son-in-law’s dog ‘Bonnie’ messed up his favourite tie. His long-suffering wife ‘Virginia’ is so well played with unending sensitivity by Jane Bovell. You feel her torment and anxiety in trying to reduce Stephen’s drinking habits. Daughter ‘Diana’ (Michelle Cooper) and husband ‘Alan’ (Phil Field) arrive with a warm natural presence as does their daughter ‘Charlotte’ (Mia Field) who enjoys an argument with her grandfather. Alan’s geeky description of their journey was very funny.

One overriding impression of the cast was their natural delivery of lines and none less so than neighbours ‘Duff Gardner’ and his wife ‘Bridget’ (Bob Houghton and Penny Field) who joined the family for dinner. It was alleged that  ‘Bridget’ was having an affair with her foot specialist ‘Hugh’, who surprisingly arrived with them for dinner too! Great support from Maurice Thompson.

From the beginning of Act 2 tensions rise at the dinner table as Betts becomes convincingly more and more inebriated, which is kept up well for the rest of the performance. There was still space for some very poignant moments between ‘Stephen’ and ‘Alan’ who surprisingly admits to infidelity and between ‘Stephen’ and ‘Virginia’, when ‘Stephen’ confides in ‘Virginia’ a previous lack of ability in his career which might explain some of his behaviour. Two excellent pieces of sensitive acting.

This was a very entertaining production directed by Renee Field, with comedy and darker moments which the audience lapped up and I thoroughly enjoyed too.

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