BILLY LIAR: Waterhouse and Hall: New Vic, N'castle U Lyme

Newcastle Under Lyme

BILLY LIAR: Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall
New Vic: Tkts 01782 717962 (tours to Scarborough)
Runs: 2 2 hours, one interval, till Sat 29th Sept 2001
Review: Rod Dungate, 7th Sept 2001

Directed with a firm hand and a fresh eye, a highly charged Billy, this tough revival packs one hell of a punch
It is tempting to think of BILLY LIAR as a play about unfulfilled hopes: about a young dreamer who hasn't the necessary strength to break free from his roots and live out his desires.

Whether it's the brutal passage of time, Chris Monks's vigorous and focused production or Ian Pepperell's highly charged performance as Billy, the play seems to have changed. It is about unfulfilled hopes but it's no play about a dreamer. This is a story of a seriously dysfunctional family at the centre of which is a young man with a wild and wonderful imagination: but an imagination that is completely out of control.

The play is tougher than I remember it - still humane, still humorous, but packing one hell of a punch (several punches, actually).

At the centre of this storm is Billy himself. Ian Pepperell not only reveals Billy's great imagination but also a truly cruel and feckless dark side: then suddenly he exposes for a second a deep inner sadness on which all the rest has grown. It is difficult to take your eyes off this fine actor whether he is deliciously over egging his impersonations of Coward of Churchill or exploding with incandescent fury at being told, once again, to be grateful: 'Grateful for this!! Grateful for that!!'

One of the play's many strengths is the power of the duologues - specially effective in the New Vic=s in-the-round acting space. The conversation between Billy and Liz, the true free spirit in the tale who encapsulates the pull of the swinging 60s, is key. The scene is gentle and honest, Nia Gwynne's Liz is restrained and all the more true for it. There is a tangible intimacy between the two performers. Also very touching is the duologue between Mum and Dad (Kate Layden and Paul McCleary) after Gran's death: one of the few moments when characters nearly meet.

Chris Monks has directed with a firm hand and a fresh eye, the result is absorbing and can still surprise.

Cast:
Barbara: Vanessa Bray
Arthur Crabtree: Robert Curbishley
Liz: Nia Gwynne
Florence Boothroyd: Pauline Jefferson
Alice Fisher: Kate Layden
Rita: Tess Mawle
Geoffrey Fisher: Paul McCleary
Billy Fisher: Ian Pepperell

Director: Chris Monks
Designer: Sue Condie
Lighting: Daniella Beattie
Sound: James Earls-Davis

2001-11-19 20:41:52