A DIFFERENT WAY HOME by Jimmie Chinn. Watford then tour

Watford

A DIFFERENT WAY HOME
by Jimmie Chinn

Palace Theatre To 20 October 2001
Runs 2hr 5min One interval

TICKETS 01923 225671
Review Timothy Ramsden 4 October

Truth and contrivance mix in Chinn's script, which evokes a fine solo performance from Roy Barraclough.
'They always give us a week off at Christmas,' says Les from Oldham. His corner house once held five children, but lately just Les and his mam. Now she's died, and though he talks about old people, he can't be far off retirement himself.

Roy Barraclough' Les catches the town's speech rhythms, the gear shifts in pace and the way thoughts are expressed not through words but the way words are said. It's a life of acceptance, in which 'we' take what 'they' give, and no thought of asking questions. Any sense of grievance finds its outlet in his immediate circle, mainly sister Maureen, who married a Jew and outdoes him in Yiddishness.

There are two characters in this one-man show. After the interval, enter Barraclough as Maureen. Dramatically, she throws new, sometimes melodramatic, light on Les. He was probably responsible for a baby brother's death. There was that incident with another lad in the park, that fortunately didn't get into the papers.

But writing and, therefore, performance lurch towards contrivance in this act. It's not only the clear pretence of cross-gender playing after an hour of Roy as Les. Maureen herself has been established as a bit of a joke and she remains an example of urban pretension, turning up her nose at Les's soiled towels, spraying air freshener into his cupboards – natural enough but humorously affected after the first act.

Not that there weren't manipulative contrivances there, but Barraclough's moving performance and the writing's repeated anchoring in character truth and detail concealed them.

Les being unexpectedly sent home from hospital as mam was about to die is a contrivance, but such details as his not having the bus fare home or the lady who paid for him, and the good-hearted neighbour who drove him back to hospital, disguise this. Act two is fun, but the first part's the heart of the matter.

Leslie/Maureen: Roy Barraclough
Director: Lawrence Till
Designer: Martin Johns
Lighting: Jim Simmons
Sound: Marcel Gussmann

2001-10-04 08:53:25