THE LEMON PRINCESS. To 5 March.

Leeds

THE LEMON PRINCESS
by Rachael McGill from an idea by Ruth Carney

West Yorkshire Playhouse (Courtyard Theatre) To 5 March 2005
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat Sat 2.30pm 3 March 2pm
Audio-described 26 Feb 2.30pm 2 March
Captioned 1 March
Runs 2hr 35min One interval

TICKETS: 0113 213 7700
www.wyp.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 17 February

Some desperate dramaturgy but inside there are moving scenes beautifully performed.This is an issue attaching itself awkwardly to a play. After a sight of Ian Reddington's club-comic, his struggling act brightened only by teenage daughter Becky's singing, we're into a two-character discussion where a letter dictated to a politician and tapped out by a bewildered medical researcher (though he could get a job as speed-typist any day) tells us the mid-1990s view of New Variant Creuzfeld-Jacob Disease (NVCJD), the human version of mad cow disease (Mike's club act gets a lot of stereotype mother-in-law humour out of that one).

Flash-forwards to an enquiry into government cover-ups on NVCJD are simplistically handled as Elaine Glover's sufferer jumps out of mental and physical debility to stand in a spotlight as Inquiry Chair still in pyjama-trousers or the like. The British institutional scenes are hand-me-down caricature: ill-organised but well-intentioned scientist, further anonymous scientist, government minister smoothly suppressing awkward truths.

The US hospital scenes sketch in the problem of medical skill mixed with secretive careerism. But these scenes all remain sketches, in a play that elsewhere tries for realistic personal drama. The result's a clunky stylistic mess.

And yet. When the actors are allowed to develop characters reality can strike. Especially with Samantha Robinson, who slips off her business jacket, slides on a hairband and transforms from adult to 9-year old, sister to Becky, the singer who descends into a disease-inflicted twilight. Robinson captures the looks, voice and (in extraordinary detail) movements of childhood, giving a convincing portrayal of someone coming early to grips with big sister's apparent personality change and, later, family trauma.

Elaine Glover also makes a strong impact with Becky's descent through what appears just bad temper and tiredness into the dwindled, disease-ravaged person finally beyond the reach of medicine. But the play drags even these characters especially Reddington's father, its least well-imagined family member - through emotional parades to make points rather than letting them develop organically.

It does make these points, and thanks to the central performances the production exerts a grip made more terrible through awareness of its real-life origins, despite the lack of overall dramatic conviction.

Becky Clayton/Chair of the Inquiry: Elaine Glover
Dr Alan Andrews/Prof Jack Liebermann: Nigel Hastings
Mike Clayton/Government Health Minister: Ian Reddington
Charlie Clayton/Dr Caroline Harding: Samantha Robinson
Karen Richards/Katie Conway: Lesley Vickerage

Director: Ruth Carney
Designer: David Farley
Lighting: Bruno Poet
Sound: Neil Alexander
Music consultant: Richard Taylor

2005-02-21 12:01:54