LOOK BACK IN ANGER. To 7 June.
Exeter
LOOK BACK IN ANGER
by John Osborne
Northcott Theatre to 7 June
Runs 2hr 45min Two intervals
Review Hazel Brown 22 May 2003
Landmark play has lost little of its powerOsborne’s play, that caused such outrage when first performed in 50’s England, may no longer shock in the same way, but it remains powerful, full of a torrent of ideas, complicated relationships and social and political questioning that remain relevant today. The young cast and the older actor, Anthony Dawes, give finely tuned performances in this excellent revival.
Christopher Fox is completely convincing as Jimmy Porter, simmering with rage and impotence in his struggle against the power of the upper classes, religion, poverty and women. He embodies Helena’s description of him as ‘horrifying and exciting’, wheeling and snarling around the claustrophobic bedsitter, hitting out with verbal venom at every target he can find from boredom to bells. Time has lent more humour to Porter’s situation, with some of his rants sounding like Tony Hancock sketches and his horsing around with his friend, Cliff, bearing a resemblance to ‘Men Behaving Badly’.
Amber Batty is tender and vulnerable as the much put upon Alison Porter and Anthony Dawes’ sympathetic portrayal of her ex-pat Colonel father makes her walk-out all the more plausible. Emma Buckley is ill served by her strait-laced pencil skirt as the usurping Helena, just a touch too prim for an actress, but Matthew Gravelle is spot on as the scruffy Welshman, Cliff, who is touchingly caring about Alison’s predicament and who even remains in the trio when Alison has been usurped by Helena. It is a really good ensemble.
Kit Surrey has created a splendid, scruffy bedsitter evoking the 50’s, in which the relationships between the young men and women are played out with inexorable inevitability. Osborne’s examination of relationships is still relevant, even if the role of women today has changed from total dependence and subservience to one of more independence, both emotionally and financially. Perhaps today, Alison would throw the iron at Jimmy as he needles her and insults her family, but people are still trapped in such emotionally wounding relationships, only finding a means of communicating through a return to childishness and cuddly toy characters.
I was left with an admiration for Osborne’s magnificent command of the English language as he hits out at the English Establishment, his consummate theatrical skill and understanding of how people think and feel, in this early play. Ben Crocker’s production serves him well and deserves an audience beyond the West Country.
Jimmy Porter: Christopher Fox
Cliff Lewis: Matthew Gravelle
Alison Porter: Amber Batty
Helena Charles: Emma Buckley
Colonel Redfern: Anthony Dawes
Director: Ben Crocker
Designer: Kit Surrey
Lighting: David Holmes
Musical Director: Paul McClure
Trumpet player: Joe Longridge
Fight director: Jonathan Howell
2003-06-10 01:42:48