Women on the Verge of HRT: Belgrade, Coventry till 4th July
Coventry
Women on the Verge of HRT
by Marie Jones.
Belgrade Theatre To 4 July 2009.
Runs: 1hr 45min One interval.
Review: Jan Pick 30 June.
What’s the sell by date?
Fast and funny, this perceptive exploration of women ‘of a certain age’ by ‘Stones in his Pockets’ playwright Marie Jones, is a great evening’s theatre at the Belgrade. Daniel O’Donnell fans, Anna and Vera are spending the night at the Viking House – O’Donnell’s hotel – after attending his concert. Vera, a divorcee, is rebelling against being considered too old for love and sex, Anna is quietly accepting it. In the course of the evening they meet Fergal, who helps them to realise and articulate their hopes and frustrations and find a way to move on.
Louise Jameson fizzes energetically as Vera, earthy, bitchy and furious at a society that approves her ex husband’s triumph in gaining a new wife who is half his age, whilst deriding her for still seeing herself as a desirable woman. Janet Dibley engages audience sympathy as the quieter Anna, a perfect foil for her more raucous friend. Both actresses are excellent, only matched by Aidan O’Neill as the somewhat mysterious hotel employee Fergal, who skilfully juggles several roles as the various men - and one woman - in their world. His brilliant impersonation of Daniel O’Donnell almost brought the house down. The set, lighting and sensitive direction from Noreen Kershaw all combine to make the evening a success.
Despite the play’s title do not assume that Jones is aiming at a specifically female audience, this is for everyone – whatever their gender - addressing issues that will be recognised by men and women alike. While there is a serious point to be made here, the process is fun, the characters sympathetic and on a beautiful summer evening a packed auditorium happily demonstrated their uproarious approval.
Vera: Louise Jameson.
Anna: Janet Dibley.
Fergal: Aidan O’Neill.
Director: Noreen Kershaw.
Designer: Helen Fownes-Davies.
Lighting Designer: Jim Simmons.
Sound: Charlie S Brown.
Dialect coach: Jo Cameron Brown.
2009-07-05 13:01:27