NORMAN CONQUESTS (LIVING TOGETHER): TILL 22 MAY

LIVING TOGETHER: part of Alan Ayckbourn's trilogy THE NORMAN CONQUESTS
(Reviewed as Part II of the Trilogy)
Birmingham Rep: Tkts 0121 236 4455
Runs: 1h 50m, one interval, till 22 May
Review: Rod Dungate, 28 April 2004

Intriguing, tantalising and still funny
Living Together, the second of Ayckbourn's trilogy of Norman plays to open at the Birmingham Rep, is not more of the same thing at least not in dramatic terms. This play 'fills in' some of the gaps of the action of Table Manners, so the characters are known (assuming you have seen the other play.) Unlike most trilogies the story doesn't move on, but runs parallel. What Ayckbourn achieves, at least in this Jonathan Church production, is a totally different feel to the play.

The story reaches Ayckbourn-farce style climaxes but its rhythm is quite different. I commented that Church enables Table Manners to breathe. This play breathes even more easily. For the most part, the interesting action lies not with the narrative thrust but in character shifts and shifts in alliances. We have a chance to see the characters from within as they reveal themselves in conversations. Hard to know how much of this we would see if we did not have Table Manners under our belt, however . . . .

The opening of the second half, a long section between family siblings Annie, Ruth and Reg is expertly handled and a real joy. Caroline Faber, Katharine Rogers and Paul Raffield will have spent hours in rehearsal rooms on these three plays and it shows in the intimacy in their relationship. From time to time their extended relationships may be explosive, but the three together present an underlying ease with or at the very least understanding of each other. The relaxed pace of the scene opens it up beautifully. It is a moment, too, for Raffield's performance to blossom. His game-playing side (developed by Ayckbourn in darker ways in other plays) here is a light and innocent pleasure though we see where it could go.

Michael Begley's Norman becomes intriguingly increasingly difficult to fathom. Begley holds steadfastly to a genuineness that could be innocence. It is tantalisingly unclear whether Norman deliberately manipulates the women for his own end (no pun intended) or whether, in his case, what I say is what you get. This mystery is further deepened once we witness the marvellously, sharply observed, quirky love scene between him and his wife, Ruth.

Norman: Michael Begley
Tom: Tony Boncza
Annie: Caroline Faber
Sarah: Leda Hodgson
Reg: Paul Raffield
Ruth: Katharine Rogers

Direction: Jonathan Church
Design: Simon Higlett
Lighting: Mark Jonathan
Music: Matthew Scott
Fights: Renny Krupinski

2004-04-30 14:12:04