Waiting in the Wings by Noël Coward.
Directed by Stephen Pike. Performing at The Q November 20 – 23 2019 and Canberra Rep’s Theatre 3 from November 27 – December 7 2019. A Canberra Rep production in collaboration with the Q Theatre and the Queanbeyan-Palerang Council. Bookings; 6257 1950.
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
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| Liz Bradley as May Davenport in Waiting in the Wings |
Sir Noel Coward claimed when
asked what he considered to be his gift to the British stage, he replied “A talent
to amuse.” The same could be said of Canberra Repertory’s end of year
entertainment, Noël Coward’s genteel comedy, Waiting in the Wings, directed by Stephen Pike and featuring a
stellar cast of Canberra’s finest more mature actresses. After a short break the
Rep season at Theatre 3 was rather slow to warm up on Wednesday night. As Laurence
Olivier, the great knight of the British Theatre, once wrote “Never use the
performance as a warm up.” Gradually the beautifully played and sensitively
directed production swept me up in its charm. Coward’s play, masterly handled
by Pike’s excellent cast, does far more than amuse. It is a heart-warming
account of the fading years, set in The Wings, a charity home for retired
actresses, once the glorious toasts of the London stage and now living out
their twilight years with past friends and rivals of the theatrical art.
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Liz At Clair Long as Deirdre O’Malley and
Peter Holland as Perry Lascoe in Waiting in the Wings.
Photo by Ross Gould
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Written in 1959 and first staged
the following year when Coward himself was approaching his more venerable
years, Waiting in the Wings forsakes
the biting satire of the youthful impetuosity of Private Lives or Blithe
Spirit for the more sober observation and empathy for the advancing effects
of old age. Coward’s wit still sparkles and strikes a chord with anyone who is experiencing
the onset of the twilight years or has elderly relations whose lives have begun
to spend their force. The Master still constructs a splendidly crafted plot which
affords the actors wonderful opportunities to fashion eccentric, volatile,
quirky or forceful characters. And this is where the production excels. Each
character is played with perceptive insight into the universal condition of encroaching
old age. Coward carefully charts a course of changing circumstances to capture
our interest and portray the familiar aging doyennes of his time.
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Dick Goldberg as Osgood Meeker, Joan White as
Sarita Myrtle, Liz Bradley as May Davenport and
Alice Ferguson as Estelle Craven in Waiting in the Wings
Photo by Helen Drum |
There is the silent antagonism
between rivals, Lotta Bainbridge (Ros Engledow) and May Davenport (Liz Bradley).
A struggle with council, embroiling hassled charity home manager, Perry Lascoe
(Peter Holland) threatens the establishment of a solarium for the residents.
Newspaper columnist Zelda Fenwick (Antonia Kitzel) offers support in exchange
for agreement to do an article on the home. Dementia sufferer Sarita Myrtle
(Joan White) dangerously indulges her fascination for flaming matches. Lotta’s
prodigal son Alan Bennett – not The Alan Bennett – (Ian Murray) appears after seventeen
years to create a familiar dilemma. The years have imprinted their various
scars and demeanours upon the ladies of The Wings and today’s audiences are
faced with a timeless portrait of the human condition. A parade of resilience
or capitulation appears. The wiry, no-nonsense Cora (Adele Lewin) sits and
knits and sings out of tune and time. Penny Hunt is a flighty, softly spoken musical
Maude in striking contrast to the melodramatically bombastic “Irish Battleaxe”
Deirdre O’Malley (Liz St Clair Long ). Anxiety attacks bombard the fearful
Estelle Craven (Alice Ferguson). The silent conspicuously inconspicuous
resident Almina Clare (Micki Beckett) lends a touch of curious interest to the
assembled residents and Liz de Totth is
a compliant and affable Bonita Belgrave, the first to greet surprising new
arrival Topsy Baskerville (played with a touch of extravagance by Golda
Berdicks!) In a moving portrayal of the
cruel yet kind ravages of the failing mind, Joan White elicited spontaneous
applause from the audience This is both the measure of success of Pike’s
production and also a moving and relevant appreciation of Coward’s more serious
intent. There are also finely observed and detailed performances from Nikki
Lynne-Hunter as the home’s kindly but stern “commandant”. Dick Goldberg is a loyal and
loving eccentric Osgood Meeker, visiting his bed-ridden and ninety-five year
old wife. Rina Onorato successfully captures the pathos in her performance of
Lotta’s companion and maid, Dora as well as the excitable charity home maid,
Doreen.
Pike has directed the production with remarkable sensitivity towards the shifting tones of wit, humour and pathos, describing far more than affectionate comedy in his quest for Coward’s true intent. A parade of cameos offers a nostalgic retrospective on the era of vaudeville and the lost art of the early twentieth century’s theatre. The play revolves largely about the character of Lotta, who has the longer duologue scenes with May, Dora and Alan. Could Coward be referencing his close friend and co-star Gertrude Lawrence,long gone when the play was written? Is the play Coward’s private glimpse at his own advancing years through the prism of actresses that have passed through the portals of his theatrical life?
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Ros Engledow as Lotta Bainbridge and
Liz Bradley as May Davison in Waiting i
The Wings. Photo by Helen Drum
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Pike has directed the production with remarkable sensitivity towards the shifting tones of wit, humour and pathos, describing far more than affectionate comedy in his quest for Coward’s true intent. A parade of cameos offers a nostalgic retrospective on the era of vaudeville and the lost art of the early twentieth century’s theatre. The play revolves largely about the character of Lotta, who has the longer duologue scenes with May, Dora and Alan. Could Coward be referencing his close friend and co-star Gertrude Lawrence,long gone when the play was written? Is the play Coward’s private glimpse at his own advancing years through the prism of actresses that have passed through the portals of his theatrical life?
True to its era, Waiting in the Wings runs for over two
and half hours with an interval. Meticulously designed by Andrew Kay and
constructed by the Rep team under the supervision of Russell Brown, the play is
delightfully staged as a traditional Canberra Repertory homage to the Coward canon.
With careful attention to period and production values, Pike is ably assisted
by costume designer Anna Senior, lighting designer Nathan Sciberras, sound
designer Neville Pye and his collection of Coward interval songs and piano
pieces, and properties master Brenton Warren. Particularly commendable is the
liaison with Queanbeyan’s Q Theatre that has brought this delicious revival of
Coward’s seldom seen play to both Queanbeyan and Canberra audiences. And a
special commendation to Rep and Stephen Pike for choosing a piece that affords
some of Canberra’s finest women to show what special talent still struts the
Queanbeyan and Canberra stages! Hopefully it is a collaboration that will
continue, enticing the best talents on the two stages to come together to
produce the first class Festive Season entertainment that is Waiting
in the Wings.