SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS: till 3 March.

London.

SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS
by Richard Alfieri.

Theatre Royal Haymarket To 3 March 2007.
Runs 1hr 50min One interval.
Mon – Sat 7.30pm Mat Thu & Sat 3pm.

TICKETS: 020 7930 8800/0870 4000 626.
Review: Harriet Davis 6 December.

Competent but lacklustre from accomplished American playwright Richard Alfieri.
The long-suffering wife of a Baptist minister makes the somewhat unprecedented decision to take up weekly dance lessons. Her (unlikely) tutor is a former Broadway dancer, made bitter by a lack of professional success and the death of a former lover. Between them, an improbable (yet predictable) friendship arises, culminating in bittersweet tragedy.

Claire Bloom – famous for her 1974 portrayal of Blanche DuBois – sports a dubious American accent and never quite relaxes into the role of Lily. Billy Zane (of Back To The Future fame) brings a much-needed spark of life to the proceedings, but never truly sets the stage on fire. The first few scenes are particularly stagnant, further hindered by the cumbersome breaks between scenes.

Neither Bloom nor Zane are especially gifted dancers so the dances themselves are a suitably clumsy affair. The script is by turns witty, but many of its subtler points are overlooked. Bloom in particular seems unable to deal with the laugh lines, and leaves them little time to breathe. Zane is more adept at this, and rescues her on several occasions.

Similarly, the various shifts in tone feel awkward and forced. The couple are at their best when flirting, and bounce off one another with relative ease. The problems arise in the weightier scenes, which appear out of nowhere. Lily’s first confession (of her husband’s death) comes too soon and feels unearned. By the time Michael has recounted his tragic past, we know what is expected of us, and feel manipulated.

The set is effective and much is made of the sunset-beach style backdrop. The music is appropriate if predictable – slipping into cliché for the schmaltzy finale. Arthur Allan Seidelman’s direction is reminiscent of 1950s-era Hollywood, sentimental to the point of becoming sickly. Despite occasional flashes of sincerity, this is heavy-handed stuff.

Lily Harrison: Claire Bloom.
Michael Minetti: Billy Zane.

Director: Arthur Allan Seidelman.
Designer/Costume: Christopher Woods.
Lighting: David Hersey.
Sound: Fergus O’Hare.

2006-12-07 16:38:32