BLEST BE THE TIE. To 8 May.

London

BLEST BE THE TIE
by Dona Daley

Talawa Theatre Company at Royal Court (Jerwood Theatre Upstairs) To 8 May 2004
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat Sat & 5 May 4pm
Runs 1hr 45min No interval

TICKETS: 020 7565 5000
Review: Timothy Ramsden 22 April

A lot of truth about relationships tied up in a single room.Ties of family and friendship are a long-time theme in drama; so is the making of crucial choices. The first is fully played out in the late Dona Daley's play; the second somewhat soft-pedalled.

Florence Williams came from Jamaica to London years ago. Living by Clapham Junction she feels she's reached her terminus. This is life from now on, with friendly Wednesday calls from Eunice. The only white woman in the street, Eunice has had her own journey from Yorkshire, via falling into marriage with a Jamaican.

She knows more about her friend than does new arrival from Jamaica, hair-stylist champ Cerise Sylvester. Who she? None other than Florence's sister Martha, new-named since her salon went uptown in Kingston. Rich, and glamorous as couture can make her, Martha's come to invite Florence back to the Caribbean.

It's alluring, but it's interference. That's apparent in the matter of Florence's sofa, bumpy with worn springs but comfortably familiar. She's not too pleased to find her sister's installed a new one, even if it is in Florence's favourite colour. And an advance, at least, on the annual Christmas card, sole previous link between the sisters over the years.

Paulette Randall's production has three strong performances. Marion Bailey's Eunice clearly lives a fraught life, decipherable in her default anxious though friendly expression, developing further furrows when Cerise/Martha threatens to take her friend away. Ellen Thomas has a less rounded character to work with, but several moments indicate a decent heart behind long years living on a materialistic surface (Martha and Eunice both date from 1949).

At their centre is Lorna Gayle's finely-played Florence. Determined (she's first seen making a forceful point to nuisance neighbours) and magnificently resilient, she's not someone to oppose easily, but makes a firm friend. Paulette Randall's production gives all three space but can't hide Daley's tendency to have arguments and crises emerge over-suddenly as if they'd been lying in waiting, the preceding scene waiting for them to spring.

But it's a small matter among so many strongly made points about friendships, relationships, and, eventually, friendly relationships.

Eunice: Marion Bailey
Florence: Lorna Gayle
Martha: Ellen Thomas

Director: Paulette Randall
Designer: Libby Watson
Lighting: James Farcombe
Sound: Ian Dickinson
Music: Delroy Murray
Dialect coach: Claudette Williams
Company voice work: Patsy Rodenburg
Assistant director: Pat Cumper

2004-04-23 10:50:05