Sandy Pritchard-Gordon

Sandy Pritchard-Gordon
Theatre Blog

Thursday 24 March 2016

Welcome Home Captain Fox at The Donmar


 Image result for welcome home captain fox


There have been several artistic variations on the theme of mistaken identity involving a soldier with amnesia returning home from war.  Welcome Home Captain Fox is the latest and, I’m sorry to say, not the best.  Adapted by Australian Anthony Weigh from Jean Anouih’s fact based 1937 comedy, Le Voyageur Sans Baggage, The Donmar’s latest offering has Gene as the soldier returning to 1950’s America (the Hamptons to be exact).  He has been incarcerated in an East German prisoner of war camp and interrogated by the US authorities as a suspected communist sympathizer.  Now free, he is identified by the wealthy Fox family as their long lost son, Jack. The only problem is that once Jack discovers things about his past, he begins to wonder if he would be better off without the reconciliation. 

Jack has been brought to the Foxes’s smart mansion by Marcee Dupont Dufort and her older husband De Wit, who spend their whole time bitching with one another; definitely not a marriage made in heaven.  The Foxes, too, are no happy family and come across as cold, spoilt and altogether unpleasant human beings, which is another reason why Gene is not necessarily keen to assume or re-assume the name Jack Fox.

The cast, on the whole, is pretty good, with the women scoring slightly higher over the men.   Katherine Kingsley has a high old time camping it up as the nouveau riche Mrs. Dupont Dufort (“you do say the t”).  Blowsy, loud and altogether hilarious, the stage seems bereft without her.  Fenella Woolgar, as Mrs. Fox’s predatory daughter-in-law, an imperious manipulator with just the right hint of desperation, is also excellent.  Whilst Mrs. Fox herself, played by Sian Thomas turns imperiousness into an art form.  Could any mother be less maternal?

Unfortunately the men in the cast fare less well.  I’m afraid none of their performances made much of an impression, with even Rory Keenan a pretty much forgettable Captain Fox.  Not only does his American accent waiver somewhat, but I found it hard to believe that he was a returning soldier, let alone one in the fifties.

Mark Thompson’s set and the costumes all allude very well to post war gentility but that and Blanche McIntyre’s direction can’t raise this latest Donmar production above “ok”.

Saturday 5 March 2016

The End of Longing at The Playhouse Theatre





Poor old Matthew Perry has received rather a roasting from many of our ‘main’ critics following the opening of his first stage play, The End of Longing at The Playhouse Theatre.  Aren’t they being unduly harsh?  It may not be the greatest play in the world, but it is enjoyable, even to those who haven’t just ventured into the theatre to see Matthew Perry in the flesh.

Whereas one of these professionals stated that ‘Friend Chandler Bing’s’ attempt at penmanship is an ego trip, I’m inclined to think the opposite.  Surely writing for the stage and opening it in London is a brave move.  After all, he is probably very aware that there will be many keen to knock down a cast member of one of the most successful and popular sitcoms of all time.  ‘An American sitcom progeny penning a remarkable play, don’t be absurd!’.

Perry has written for tv and The End of Longing does have the feel of a sitcom script performed on stage, rather than a theatrical one.  There is rather too much tell and not enough show and lots of rather disjointed short scenes, but, despite that, it is watchable and well acted ….. and, let’s not forget, at times very amusing.

A four hander, The End of Longing concerns Jack (Perry) an alcoholic and his burgeoning relationship with Stephanie (Jennifer Mudge) a high-class prostitute, plus her neurotic friend Stevie (Christina Cole) who is seeing, kind but dim Joseph (Lloyd Owen).  All the characters are very lightly sketched with no back-story to speak of, but we do care about them and their relationships.  Will Jack and Stephanie’s strong sexual attraction become the lasting relationship that Stevie and Joseph’s is turning out to be?

As Perry’s problems with addiction have been well documented, casting himself as an alcoholic is a smart yet brave move.  Smart, because he knows first hand about facing and conquering his demons and brave because knowing and showing are two very different ball games.  In the event his performance, most especially when confronting his alcoholism, and facing the self-loathing this brings, is very honest.  And the speech he gives at the AA meeting is very affecting.  If this is a personal catharsis, no matter, it is extremely moving.

Of the other three actors, they flesh as much as they can out of their characters, with Lloyd Owen fairing the best as Joseph.  At the beginning,
his character’s announcement to the audience that he is “stupid”, belies a hidden warmth and humour which Owen fleshes out as the play progresses.

Anna Fleischie does a great job with the cool, trendy bar and apartment set which easily transforms into a hospital and Lindsay Posner’s direction is suitably efficient.  So, whilst the play is clichéd in parts, on the whole it delivers an enjoyable night at the theatre, which is, I am sure, the result Mr. Perry is striving for.

Ignore the nit picking crits and sample a ‘Friend’ showing he can act, even if you didn’t ever watch him in action in Central Perk.