THE RECRUITING OFFICER. To 27 September.
Lichfield
THE RECRUITING OFFICER
by George Farquhar
Garrick Theatre To 27 September 2003
Runs 2hr 40min One interval
TICKETS: 01543 412121
Review: Timothy Ramsden 25 September
A bright new theatre and a production with illuminating moments.Lichfield has a new theatre. The Garrick, named for the town's most famous thesp from its 18th century glory days, when Dr Johnson also emanated therefrom is light, airy and somewhat Spartan at first sight (there are wood-slatted park-bench type seats upstairs). A foyer fronts the street along its length, with a spacious ticket office open to view. Refreshment areas run parallel to the auditorium side and are out of public sight. The stalls have entrances upstairs (there's disabled access too) as well as from the bar, so there's a risk the place can be quite bustling without the life being seen through the considerable glass frontage.
Not that Lichfield's likely to be passing en masse the theatre is near the town centre but down a side-street on a one-way system. However, a nearby multi-storey car-park is not only convenient for theatregoers but should make for people becoming aware of the building.
It's clearly registered with some, who have continued the British tradition of howling antagonism to the monstrous impropriety of burdening their locality with a place of public entertainment. Lichfield already has a cathedral and a Dr Johnson museum what can it want with this theatre, reminding folk that their community once gave birth to one of England's greatest actors?
The Garrick has started as it doesn't quite mean to go on. Following Max Stafford-Clark's Out of Joint with new play Duck - rave reviewed in Birmingham by Kim Durham - it has a classic and modern play (Maureen Lawrence's Resurrection 2-18 October) from Corin Redgrave's Moving Theatre. It was apparently, a local theatregoer who, after seeing Redgrave in Rattigan at Derby Playhouse wrote to suggest he might come to her town's new theatre. And he has.
Following this rich mix opening diet, with its local inflexions (Farquhar part-wrote Recruiting Officer here and it's set in similar-sized Shrewsbury; Lawrence's play concerns Dr Johnson and his servant) theatre director Paul Everitt is opening the stage to local amateur companies, who offer a series of musicals.
This is a sensible move, both in providing up-to-date, high quality facilities to local performers and their audiences, and in embedding the new building as part of the community.
Local companies will need to feel welcome and a vital part of the theatre's life, not makeweights who are simply tolerated while the theatre awaits some other real' business. For the future, there are spring visits from touring companies planned, but the formation of a resident professional company is some way off. Typically, in Britain there can be funding for a building without anyone thinking there's a need for an acting company (whose work would interweave its seasons with continued use by local groups. They in turn could benefit from the likely increase in technical support a repertory season would mean).
Lichfield's traffic, with its diversions, and the Garrick's side-street location were too much for me and I arrived a few minutes late. Helpful front-of-house staff ushered me into the rear stalls while the theatre during the opening action, giving a vivid impression of the stage. An 18th century street-scene (I'm told, with several Lichfield references) seemed a continuation of the auditorium. Sitting on the end of a row near the back the view of the stage and sense of contact with it were excellent.
Post-interval I tried the other side, several rows forward. Again the same, the only barrier being a piece of foliage which obtruded when action was at the very stage edge but that's specific to this production. There is an upper audience level, with boxes that sweep out over the stalls' end-seat view, but at their height they offered no problem.
Moving Theatre bring some fine performers and a number of moments make a mark. There are vivid performances from Petra Markham and Neve McIntosh as reluctant recruits and Penny Layden as the much-loved, somewhat deceived Sylvia. James Hillier is strong at the centre of his vocal register, seeming confidently blasé; towards the edges the voice becomes raw.
With good work notably too from Andrew Hawkins, Hayley Jane Standing and Owen Sharpe plus Corin Redgrave's brazenly showy recruiter contrasting his dull constable, there are many quality points. Somehow they don't combine as quite a satisfactory whole. There's a stiffness in the production, which is most successful with the women characters and in human relationships rather than in male behaviour and comic intrigue.
Tony Harrison's Epilogue attacks the present government over the war in Iraq. More vivid than an 18th century Epilogue would seem (they could be barbed in their own day) it cheats by assimilating audience applause for the actors into approval of their stance on Iraq.
Still, it's a fine aspiration for a new theatre to present such a classic, and to follow it, in October, with a play by a seriously undersung living playwright.
Justice Balance: Andrew Hawkins
Rose: Hayley Jane Standing
Lucy/Costar Pearmain/Wife: Petra Markham
Melinda/Thomas Appletree: Neve McIntosh
Bullock/Mob/Servant/Recruit: Harry Peacock
Mr Worthy/Mr Scruple: Brendan O' Hea
Captain Brazen/Constable: Corin Redgrave
Sylvia Balance: Penny Layden
Sergeant Kite: Owen Sharpe
Captain Plume: James Hillier
Directors: Annie Castledine, Corin Redgrave
Designer: Liz Cooke
Lighting: Tina MacHugh
Sound/Music: Jeremy Arden
2003-10-10 00:15:02