In Celebration – 20th July 2007

Review By Wendy James © Click! Orlando!

*I have used both the names Steven and Orlando whilst writing this. Sometimes it seemed more appropriate to one rather than the other.*

My first impression on entering the Duke Of York’s Theatre was how small and intimate it appeared. You felt almost as if you were stepping back in time. I should imagine that the actual décor has changed very little since 1904 when James Barrie first opened his wonderful play ‘Peter Pan’. The stage set is spectacular – imagine a house that has had one of the interior walls removed. You can look into the living room, as well as the bedroom, which sits directly above the downstairs room. This is Steven’s room. Part of the back wall of that bedroom has fallen away on the back left to reveal another room, Mr and Mrs Shaw’s room. A dressing table, chair and small lamp is just visible. The ageless beauty of the theatre gives the feeling of the period. The actual set evoked many memories for me – a writing desk, protectors for the head and arms of the chairs, a clock and most notably a tea pot with a knitted stripped that was identical to one that my grandparents used around their brown ceramic tea pot.
Steven is first on stage. He literally bursts through a door yelling, “Dad…Dad?” Orlando is dressed in clothes typical of that period, is hair parted to the side and heavily gelled down, although in those days, the men would have used Brylcream. He wanders around the stage examining little objects and picks up a photo that is sat in a frame on the fireplace. I noted how bouncy and relaxed Orlando appeared. He was not fidgety or restless. He had grown into the character of Steven. He spends a few moments on stage alone until Mr Shaw enters.
Orlando’s first interaction with other characters was full of amusing line, which earned a great deal of laughs from the audience. The audience in general was very receptive to the play. They laughed loudly in all the right places and remained silent during the serious scenes. There was no talking or giggling at inappropriate moments which certainly was a relief.
Mr Shaw who joins Orlando first is exactly as I read him. A wonderful character with a lot of dialogue but he delivers his lines in such a way that keeps your attention fully focused on him. So much so that there were times when I forgot Orlando was there. I particularly liked Tim Healy’s ‘miners cough’. I, as well as the audience laughed many times over his references to his ailment…”I tell you, if you stuck a pin in me you wouldn’t get any blood: a little pile of coal dust would be all you’d see run out.”
On another note, one of his lines led me to note the only complaint that I have with the play…”She’s cleaned that floor a dozen times if she’s cleaned it once. And them windows…it’s a wonder there’s any glass left in.”
I know it has been mentioned many, many times on various discussion sites, but the mirror in the living room and windows in the kitchen door are covered in finger marks. I know someone who is almost a carbon copy of Mrs Shaw. Just one single child’s handprint on a window or mirror warrants a damp cloth, a spray of Windowlene and a good buff and polish. The attention to detail has been so wonderfully thought over, that it seems a shame that the very one point that so many hundreds of people are continually noting has not been rectified.
Another character that has stepped straight out of the page of the book is Mrs Burnett. She is wonderfully protrayed by Lynda Baron. She reminds me very much of a relative, not only in appearance but also in character. The bantering between her and Mr Shaw drew many laughs for the audience. She is a person you instantly like and trust. In fact, I would love Mrs Burnett to live next door to me. She’s wonderful.
Enter Andrew, a character who totally surprised me. I initially read Andrew as being bitter, rude and arrogant, not at all likeable. He is all of those things, but Paul Hilton has completely turned the character around making him into a bouncy likeable rogue with a huge chip on his shoulder. He is full of wonderful little quips and drew a huge amount of laughter from the audience. A few times even Orlando was struggling to remain serious. He would cover his mouth with his hand and rub his finger over his moustache to stop the smirk erupting from beneath the surface. Andrew's descriptions of his paintings had the audience laughing so loudly that at times we were struggling to hear him deliver the next line.
Colin enters the stage and yes, a character portrayed exactly as I had envisioned him whilst reading the play. His character falls between the silent serious Steven and the extrovert, dramatic Andrew. Colin is the peacemaker – the negotiator. Numerous times he is mockingly called upon to ‘negotiate’ a family argument.

**Interval**

Act 2 begins with Mrs Burnett entering the Shaw’s house to light fire. This is also when we meet the final character Reardon. He is a friend of the Shaw’s, a loveable elderly gentleman who has some wonderful long yet interesting lines and thoroughly engaging dialogue.
Once the whole cast return to the stage, you can see that Steven’s whole demeanour has changed. He has become even more introverted and has the look of a person haunted and tortured by his mind. He sits on a chair to the side of the stage, disengaged from the celebrations around him.
Mrs Shaw starts to sing, prompting the whole family to join in one by one. Steven half heatedly joins in at the end…”Cover my defenceless head. With the shadow of thy wing.” Shortly after this, Steven retires upstairs to his room.
Although you can see Steven’s bedroom and bed with ease it is not lit. The only light comes from the room below which cast an eerie, gloomy glow on that part of the set. Orlando sits on the edge of the bed staring ahead into the audience, running his heads through his hair and sighing deeply. You can feel the emotional turmoil that Orlando is projecting into the audience. He next lays down onto the bed and start to weep.
I found this very difficult to watch. Orlando curls up into a foetal position on the bed. You can hear his sobs getting louder and more desperate. Although Andrew and Colin are in the room below bantering over the sleeping arrangements, you can easily hear Orlando crying above them. He sits up then a few moments later Andrew enters the bedroom. He looks at Steven, then returns downstairs.
The next part of the play was such where you had two contrasting scenes to watch at the same time. Colin and Andrew are downstairs discussing Steven’s crying with Andrew adding his own dry humour to the situation…“Perhaps you can ‘negotiate’ some suitable compromise…let’s say…a whimper.” Upstairs Orlando is sobbing heavily, rubbing his hands through his hair, wiping tears away from his face, eyes wide and staring whilst he rocks gently back and forth. He stands up, picks up his dressing gown from the end of the bed, puts it on, then slowly goes downstairs. Once downstairs he sits on the sofa, still crying, then he pulls his feet up onto the seat, curls up tightly hugging his knees to his chest whilst huge sobs shake his body.
I don't know what is so distressing about watching a man cry. To see Steven so painfully distressed made me want to reach out and comfort him, to help ease his pain and anguish. I found myself taking big gulps and fighting the tears that that were threatening to spill from my eyes at any moment. It was without doubt THE most emotional scene that I have seen Orlando play. It was far more powerful than Drew in ‘Elizabethtown’. I personally feel he played that to perfection, by adding raw emotional turmoil to what must be a very difficult part of the play for Orlando to convincingly play night after night. The emotion of the scene overflowed into the audience. During some moments it was so quiet you could only hear Steven whimpering and the clock ticking on the fireplace.
As the play neared the end, I felt a little sad knowing that this is my first and probably last chance I will get to see this remarkable play. I enjoyed watching al the new mannerisms that Orlando brought to Steven that were not present in any of his other characters. The tight squeeze of the eyes when Jamey was mentioned, the clenching and unclenching of his hands when feeling stressed, the sadness and the silences, the tea drinking and the biscuit munching!
Although Steven is essentially an almost verbally silent character, Steven’s body language is the loudest of all the characters. He is screaming at the top of his lungs for help, yet no one is listening. Their lives churn relentlessly onward. The family, unable to comprehend the vocal cries from Steven choose to ignore the physical ones.

“Well then…that’s that eh?”

“Yes!”

“Did you enjoy it love?”

“I did. Yes…And you?”

“Aye…Aye.”

:steven:

Jesse
Thanks for sharing your incredible experience with us! Sorry to hear of your train trouble.

Wow. That, to me anyway, is saying something. Elizabethtown is one of my two favorite movies that is so deeply emotional. I am currently reading the play for the 2nd time after reading your and the other members' reviews. It really helps me put a different spin to it. (although the English accent I hear in my head as I read is not at all authentic :unsure: )

Thanks again for writing us our review.

The easiest way I can explain the accent to you all, is to think of Sean Bean's accent (Boromir - LOTR, Odysseus - Troy). Now picture Orlando but with Sean's voice. It's really quite remarkable.

Thanks Jesse, that helps the cast in the theatre of me mind!

Wow! Same here. I cry every time I see Drew sitting in the car talking to his dad's ashes and crying and beating on the steering wheel.

I wanted to cry just reading your description of Orlando crying as Stephen, Jesse. I know I would not be able to control myself if I were ever in the audience.

Thanks for the review. :friends:

It was really difficult Lissa. I had my hands clasped tightly by my mouth with my two fingers pressing on my lips to stop them from trembling. If my lips started to tremble then the tears would have flowed. :cry:

Jesse - Thank you SO much for giving such a detailed review! Since I haven't been able to find a copy of the play, I had no idea that Orlando had to cry onstage, much less for so long! What an exhausting performance that must be!

Thanks for being so attentive, I feel as if I have a real idea of his performance now!

Dair

Thanks Dair.

I know how very difficult it is to find copies of this play, we all struggled. None of us could find new copies, they all came from Ebay or Amazon 2nd book sellars. There is certainly a huge market out there for them because so many people want to read or see the play and are unable to do so.

If we do hear anything we will be sure to let everyone know.

Wow, I almost feel as tough I had been there myself. What a wonderful review of what is obviously a wonderful performance by the entire cast.

Helen

Thanks Helen. :friends:

I tried to make the review as accurate and descriptive as possible because I know so many people are unable to see this play. I'm glad it helps to include you all.