FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH. Tour to 13 July.

Tour

FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH
by John A Penzotti

Tour to 13 July 2002
Runs: 2hr 15min One interval

Review: Hazel Brown 11 March at Poole Arts Centre

Witty observations on ageing and friendship dissipate into maudlin sentimentalityI preface this review with the observation that my fellow audience members at Poole apparently saw a very different play to me – they clapped and even cheered at the end. I cannot understand why.

The five women meet on a park bench in New York every day and talk about their lives, past and present, and the problems of ageing. Their observations reflect the concerns of older people – regret at losing partners, the grandchildren, fear of young men in leather coats, jealousy and envy of another's situation, boredom at hearing the same story repeated, but all underpinned by care and concern for one another. Nothing new or startling here.

They are, however, a feisty, mixed bunch and not one of them looks as though they are at death's door. Each has a long held secret: one is gay; one lost a child; another left her husband after he decided to go into a home; another had a breakdown on the threshold of a great singing career; and one discovers the joys of fast food after a lifetime of dining out. It is charming, heart-warming and witty stuff, including a great moment when Anna, played with fey charm as teetering on the edge of senility by Shirley Ann Field, scoots across the stage.

One by one these women disappear from the park until, in the last glorious moment of the first half, death claims Miquel Brown's La La. She makes her singing debut in heaven, joined by the rest of the ladies all dolled up in silver lame and black ruffles – great fun and a good rendition of Miss Otis Regrets. . .

The play should have finished there. The second half reunites everyone with lost partners in heaven and descends into ghastly sentimentality. If heaven is to be like this, give me hell any day. The five main characters are well differentiated, but Ruth Madoc struggles to restrain her Welsh accent portraying a Jewish grandmother and whoever designed Shirley Ann Field's wig should be made to wear it for the rest of their life.

La La: Miquel Brown
Rose: Anne Charleston
Eva: Jean Fergusson
Anna: Shirley Anne Field
Gladys: Ruth Madoc
Shirley: Estelle Collins
Tuffy: Andrew Dwame
Marvin: Harry Landis
Richard/Man: Simon Masterton-Smith
Nunzio: Gilbert Wynne

Director: Chris Colby
Designer: Alan Miller-Bunford
Lighting : Graham McLusky
Costumes: Amy McNamara

2002-03-13 02:22:15