Entertainment and theatre takes many different shapes. Already this week I had witnessed a script-held performance ("Orange" at Chapter Arts centre, Cardiff), a very loud rock band ( Alterbridge - Motorpoint Arena-Cardiff) and last night a re-working of Edgar Allan Poe's horror writing at a church he frequented in Stoke Newington.
In contrast with these tonight was a more traditional production, a revival of Alfed Uhys " Driving Miss Daisy" at Wyndhams Theatre. This show contrasts the current trend of transferring successful films into less successful plays as this started as a play. When first staged in London in 1988 it starred Wendy Hiller and Clarke Peters before Bruce Beresford's film won Oscars for the writer, film and Jessica Tandy.
Tonight, we were in the presence of two international theatrical heavyweights, Vanessa Redgrave and from across the pond, James Earl Jones. Together with Boyd Gaines they had originally staged it on Broadway last year.
This is a circular play with Daisy Werthan's long-suffering son packing up his mother's house before we revert to 1948 when her time to convince his mother to accept a chauffeur as she is no longer safe to drive herself. From this simple premise ( as the best stories tend to be) the playwright invites us to enter a world where time allows two people from different ages, race, social classes and money gradually embarking upon a true friendship.
Normally you would expect the driver to be younger than his back-seat companion but this production reverses that trend as James Earl Jones is 6 years ( and 13 days older) than his co-star. Great actors, though, can overcome this potential problems and although Miss Redgrave was occasionally hesitant with her lines she came movingly into her own in the final scene.
For me the star of the night was Mr Jones who produced a seamless masterclass of acting. From a man desperate to get a job, to locking horns ( but knowing his place) with his employer's mother, to explaining the race issue from his experiences ( moving, without resulting in melodrama) with an angry acceptance as well as coming to terms with the ageing process on them both, it seemed real. And this from a man in his 9th decade!
As you would expect the theatre was packed but at key moments you could hear a pin drop & when she announces " you are my best friend" the spontanteous " ah" emerging from the audience was pure theatre.
Credit must also go to Boyd Gaines in the vital yet unshowy role of Boolie Werthan. If he had been over-shadowed by his more illustrious co-stars it would have unbalanced the play. He wasn't. A delightful evening.
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