Four Into One Will Go for an Enjoyable Night's Evening
By Tony Wood
Have you ever stayed in a hotel room and wondered who had stayed in the room before? Have you ever thought about what secrets the room might hold? Lichfield Players' latest production, Neil Simon's 'California Suite', addresses just that situation. We are in a Beverley Hills hotel suite in Los Angeles and the four different pieces explore this idea. All the stories are independent save that they expose relationships and chemistry between couples all staying at varying times in rooms 203 and 204. These rooms are linked to provide the suite, and as we have come to expect from this group a magnificent set uses the whole of the Garrick stage to effect. It is a helpful concept for a company as the four plays can use different actors and be directed independently. In this case the independence was maintained as I understand the directors involved did not see each other's pieces until the production was complete.
In the first scene - 'Visitors from New York' - we meet Hannah Warren (Victoria Wilkinson) a magazine editor and Billy (Matthew Gee) a screen writer, a divorced couple who have come to discuss the future of their 17 year old daughter. A piece full of witty conversation and jibes at each other, but somehow it seemed that this was not really life but just for audience appreciation. The problem we saw in 'Blithe Spirit' was repeated - the conversation was not animated enough for the use of a small corner of the set.
'The Visitor from Philadelphia' was a much more lively piece. well, how would you feel about the compromising predicament of Marvin (Mike Smith) who finds a young woman in his bed and within minutes his wife (Ruth Hawkins) has arrived at the door.
In 'Visitors from London' Diana is a popular actress who has arrived in Los Angeles nominated for an Academy Award. The suite has taken on a gaudy look with an enormous display of artificial flowers and greenery, so over the top as was Diana, played with such sophistication by Polly Fitzwalter, firstly as she contemplates the evening ahead then afterwards, having not won, as a dishevelled, distressed and forlorn lady - interested in the drink, and so different. David Stonehouse was absolutely well cast as the antique dealer husband Sidney whose thespian skills enabled us to appreciate the scene, the relationship between husband and wife and to feel sympathy for the whole situation.
Finally we met the 'Visitors from Chicago' in a quite demanding scene where two couples, Mort (Brian Asbury) and his wife Beth (Rosemary Bodger) and Stu (Richard Bannister) with his wife Gert (Sarah Stanley) brought the face off on the tennis court back into the bedroom.
So, four for the price of one! Interesting contrasts and directors Stephen Brunton (New York and Philadelphia) Brian Todd (London) and Carol Fry (Chicago) brought together a pleasing evening in the company of the Lichfield Players in a somewhat different formula to usual. No doubt the next production Henry V will be different again. It is good to have this talented group of players in the city and their five productions a year add much to the theatrical experience of many. |
