MORNING GLORY by Sarah Daniels: Birmingham Rep, Hampstead Theatre Club

Birmingham

Morning Glory: Sarah Daniels
The Door @ Birmingham Rep
Running Time: 2 ½ Hours
Review: Rod Dungate, 25th May 2001

Half of Sarah Daniels' new play is worth going a very long way to
see.

Morning Glory is set on a rough estate in a quiet part of Hertfordshire.
Two elderly friends live a peaceful existence when one of them is brutally
attacked in a burglary. Both women worked together in the French
resistance during World War II. Into the story comes a third woman: in her
younger days she pretended to have worked in the resistance though, in fact,
' I did rather roger my way through the war'. The three women set out to use
their skills to trap and punish the yob burglars.

All the scenes between the three women are a great joy. Daniels' wit is
both surprising and incisive and we are able to enjoy the lively vigour of the
older women whether they be reminiscing about their pasts or planning their
present campaign. Tall Charmian May as aristocratic Grace, with her ram-rod
back and striding pace leads the pack, while working class Rose (Ann Rye) is
by turns hilariously cynic and down-to-earth realist. Brigit Forsyth as Adele,
when disguised as a nun and secretly plied with vodka by Grace and Rose,
produces one of the great comic gems that makes going to the theatre so
special.

The three women, in the intimate surroundings of The Door, act with a
naturalness and ease much to be admired.

The scenes that revolve round the three yobs are curiously two-
dimensional and difficult to believe. Daniels seems unable to inhabit these
characters who are little more than Sunday Mail portraits of the real thing.
The three young actors do their best with the material but their acting is
merely loud, in-yer-face and unconvincing.

It may be that director Lawrence Till's intention is that these scenes
should be alienating, but it's really back to the drawing board time. The
women are the ones we want to see: they have something to
communicate.

Director: Lawrence Till
Designer: Patrick Connellan
Lighting: Symon Harner
Sound: Gina Hills

Cast:
Adele: Brigit Forsyth
Rose: Ann Rye
Grace: Charmian May
Melissa: Siren Turkesh
Luke: Louis Tamone
Brett: Scott Neal

2001-08-17 21:17:42