THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. To 20 October.
Pitlochry.
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
by Philip Barry.
Pitlochry Festival Theatre In rep to 20 October 2007.
Mon-Sat 8pm Mat 6 Sept, 4, 10, 20 October 2pm.
Audio-described: please ask when booking.
Post-show talk 10 Oct 2pm.
Runs 2hr 35min Two intervals.
TICKETS: 01796 484626.
www.pitlochry.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 23 August.
Showing True Love needs no True Love II.
This is, as director John Durnin points out, another of theatre's midsummer-night love comedies. It's set in Philadelphia's high society, an aristocracy in all but name, and which gave Cole Porter's musical adaptation of Philip Barry's 1939 comedy its title. Pitlochry does everything well enough. Visually it does more than that. It's quite an enjoyable show. But two glittering things are missing. One is Cole Porter's High Society numbers; phrases in the script keep bringing their melodies to mind.
The other, much more serious, is the star-sparkle of Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and James Stewart from the 1940 film, or Crosby, Kelly and Sinatra from the later musical. Not that any of those stars would have played across a six-play repertory, with parts large and smaller. But this piece needs the magnitude and temperament which would tear a Pitclochry season apart within days.
However, Durnin makes clear a structure which moves from a day of unhappiness and discord restrained by social expectations, through the mistakes of a moonlit night when darkness and drink bring people's feelings into the open, to a new dawn when things are set aright. Barry holds back the resolution till his final moment as young Tracy Lord revolves through a trio of potential husbands.
Elizabeth Nestor's Tracy hardly impresses as a troublesome whirlwind (Barry deliberately gives her the name of the family's black-sheep, Tracy branch). But she makes the young woman's growing dilemma and awareness of the need for self-responsibility evident. In fact, the whole family's comparatively well-behaved, Joanne Cummins' young sister Dinah being lively rather than mischievous (her worst offence is standing on the sofa with her trainers on) and Robin Harvey Edwards minimally disruptive as Uncle Tracy. Even the gossip-columnists are helpful rather than intrusive.
All this limits the comedy. But even without the songs, from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to True Love, and the high-temperament, there's a fine look to Pitlochry's production. Designer Monkia Nisbet provides a handsome black-and-white setting, muting only into grey. By night-time a jug of orange-juice provides colour. Finally, day dawns with flowers, carpet and pictures in full-colour as people's emotions come to life. So Pitlochry, where the sets are often applauded on sight, makes its own kind of mark on this American period piece.
Margaret Lord: Jacqueline Dutoit.
Tracy Lord: Elizabeth Nestor.
Dinah Lord: Joanne Cummins.
Sandy Lord: Grant O' Rourke.
Thomas: Callum O'Neill.
Uncle Willy Tracy: Robin Harvey Edwards.
Mike Connor: Rory Murray.
Liz Imbrie: Lorna McDevitt.
George Kittredge: Greg Powrie.
C K Dexter Haven: Gavin Kean.
Seth Lord: David Horne.
Mac/Dr Parsons: Alan Steele.
Director: John Durnin.
Designer/Costume: Monika Nisbet.
Lighting: Ace McCarron.
Dialect/Accent coach: Lynn Bains.
Fight director: Raymond Short.
2007-08-24 15:58:28