Noel Coward's Brief Encounter - Wireless Mystery Theatre: Review

One doesn't really know what to expect when attending a Wireless Mystery Theatre performance. From War of the Worlds during Belfast Children's Festival, Scream Tea in White's Tavern or A Christmas Carol in the Ulster Hall, their work is always varied and sometimes unexpected.

Last night I went to the preview of Noel Coward's Brief Encounter.  A classic of cinema, Brief Encounter is repeatedly voted the most-loved romance on screen, a tale of two lovers whose love can never be expressed.  An innocent meeting of a married man (Stephen Beggs) and a married woman (Mary Lindsay) turns into a love affair which threatens to destroy their marriages, friendships and lives.  The story starts at the end, so to speak, as Laura feels faint in the bustling train station and wishes her friend is dead because she won't stop talking.  As the jigsaw is put back together, we find out why Laura feels the way she does, just who the mystery Doctor is she was saying goodbye to and why it was all so overwhelming.

Wireless Mystery Theatre use sound to great effect in this show.   Using surround sound technology, trains rattle through the theatre, making the audience feel very much like they're right in the middle of the action. The effect of this is that we have to listen all the more intently to what is happening between the characters. For me, this just enhanced the secretive nature of the affair, feeling like I was eavesdropping on a couple and hearing their deepest desires.

Mary Lindsay is particularly suited to playing Laura Jesson.  Her face spoke a thousand words as the guilt tore her apart and she fought with her inner, barely acknowledged desires. Stephen Beggs' Dr Harvey is dashing and handsome in his suit and hat and at times a little insistent.  We never see Dr Harvey's wife and so all our thoughts are with Laura and her turmoil.

Despite some first night technical hitches, the performances induced a few tears from a couple of unnamed audience members, overwrought by the emotional difficulty of the unplanned romantic interlude and it's final goodbye. Indeed it was heard to be said how easy it would be for something like this to happen, a testament to Coward's writing engaging even the most restrained audience members with Laura's predicament.

For me, by far the most poignant part of the play is when Laura's husband Fred (Mark Claney) says 'You've been a long way away... Thank you for coming back to me'. Despite his blandness and apparent disinterest, he has noticed the whole time that Laura's mind was on something else.

Brief Encounter runs until Saturday 15th February in the Baby Grand.
Click here to book tickets.


        

REVIEW: Stand Up Man: C21 Theatre Company

Much has been made of Tim McGarry's involvement in Stand Up Man.  Being a comedian you would expect that it is Tim himself who is the Stand Up Man Thaddeus McGuinn but this role was filled by Nick Hardin.

But Thaddeus is not a funny man, well not anymore. He's over stressed, under paid and unappreciated. Well that's how he feels anyway. His wife of 26 years Maggie (Cathy Brennan-Bradley) is an alcoholic, suffering from OCD and is severely depressed.  And it's all his fault.

A sparky script from American playwright Derek Murphy hinges on Thaddeus' inability to see what is right in front of his eyes.  He has damaged his relationships with his wife and his son with his selfish behaviour and insular personality. They don't understand how much he has forfeited to save them, how important it was for him to have given Buster his name, how much Maggie should appreciate him.

Tim McGarry's portrayal of Thaddeus' alter ego, the Father McGuinn he was meant to be, is both irreverent and refreshing.  His asides in the conversation add just the right amount of lightness to lift what is a very dark comedy.  While Tim doesn't have a lot to do, his part is the most essential, balancing the darkness of the script with just enough humour to ensure the audience don't leave in tears.

Nick Hardin as Thaddeus, is spiteful and selfish as the character demands.  We never really believe that he loves Maggie.  Even as he realises what he has lost, his own self obsession demands his attention.  His need to be funny supercedes every issue, whether forgetting his wedding anniversary, going to his son's school or a death in the family.

Kevin Patrick Keenan is a bright young actor and his portrayal of Buster grew on me throughout the second half. Buster is a difficult role to play. He is both adult and child, full of hatred for his father and love for his mother. His personality is a perfect mix of Thaddeus and Maggie, having inherited all his parents worst traits.

Cathy Brennan-Bradley as Maggie is a desperate and conflicted alcoholic.  I wasn't sure whether I enjoyed this character or not. As a poor downtrodden women, a kept wife and an attention seeker I felt the underhand duplicity of her personality from the start. As we got to know Thaddeus, maybe we understood why.  But I spent the whole first half just wanting her to leave him, to punch him and to show some balls.

While it seemed the pace was a little slow at times, not in keeping with the snappy writing, the show ticked along nicely, particularly in the second half when Buster was introduced.  An interesting relationship developed between father and son and I found myself more and more engaged with Keenan's physical characterisation, his hands and the way he held himself reflecting his mood.

I found the ending perplexing. Had Thaddeus realised what he had done to his family in an effort to save them? Had he conquered his demons and atoned for his sins?  Or was it just another wallow in self pity from a failed comedian and failed husband and father?  Murphy makes a powerful comment on redemption and whether any of us really understand how the other thinks and feels.

You can watch what audience members thought about the show here http://vimeo.com/85430766 
View the Trailer here: http://youtu.be/Fsns0D5c7z4

Stand Up Man runs in the Baby Grand until Saturday 8th February and you can book tickets here
after which the show will tour various venues across NI.  More information is available here