Following a sell out run in 2011, Vertigo Theatre Productions have brought their hit comedy; Die, Mommie, Die! back to Manchester. The play was written and performed by Charles Busch in 1999 as an Off Broadway production.
The story follows the life of Angela Arden (Dale Vicker) who once had a successful singing career, but now seems to be anything but. She is also in an unloving marriage with Sol (Matt Phillips) - a stereotypical Jewish New Yorker, who is also trying to rebuild a once successful career in production.
Completing the family are the couple’s two children; Edith (Anna Hickling) and Lance (Benjamin Grey). The cast is completed by the household maid; Bootsie (Emma Morgan) and the local ladies' man; Tony (Alex Reid).
Early on in the production we discover that Angela has been having an affair with Tony. Sol finds out and endeavors to trap her in their loveless marriage. Angela then hatches a plan to kill her husband, so she can be free.
The style is very much comedy-sitcom-meets-soap-opera. Each scene break got a round of applause, which is odd but not completely unheard of. From the very beginning it’s clear that this is not supposed to be a credible plot. If you stop focusing on the plot, and instead consider how entertaining the show is then you’ll certainly enjoy the show.
From beginning to end the play is filled with belly laughs and laugh-out loud moments. Vicker is absolutely hilarious in his role of Angela Arden. He is the absolute star of the show and I can’t help but feel that if he didn’t play Angela, then the play wouldn’t be anywhere near as good. Angela is such a big character and requires a strong actor to play her. I’ve been fortunate enough to see him perform in a number of Vertigo’s productions, and I think it’s fair to say he plays a similar character in each play. However, his ability to find something different in each character he plays is remarkable and always keeps things fresh.
The rest of the cast did a great job, in particular Grey as the psychotic mummy’s boy; Lance. He really committed to his character and came across a genuinely deeply disturbed young man. Unfortunately I wasn’t entirely convinced by Reid’s performance of Tony. He certainly did look the part, however he didn't have the energy to match the others on stage. At times it was difficult to understand what he was saying as he spoke too quietly and his diction wasn’t the best. I think he could have also performed out to the audience a bit more. A lot of lines were delivered across the stage. I can definitely see his style of acting working well for television, however I think some improvements can be made for the stage.
Morgan was great as Bootsie. She has a very strong voice with a faultless American accent. Her physicality was impressive too. There was a bit of stereotypical American 1960s maid in there for sure, but she also managed to put her own stamp on the character.
Hickling came into her own in Act Two. I’m not sure if she was nervous at the beginning, as it did appear she tripped over a couple of her lines. However, towards the end she captured the twisted nature of Edith perfectly.
Overall I felt act one was the stronger of the two this evening - I would even go as far as saying act one was spot on! I felt like the pace and energy dropped a little in the second half, and it could even have been trimmed by 10 - 15 minutes, it was already very clear to me how the show was going to end by then. However, considering they’re still very early on in their run, these things have time be improved on.
I particularly liked how the play goes against the grain of everything we know from the 1960s. People used to think they had the perfect life, but I imagine what this play shows is closer to what the reality was like back then. That is evident for the picture perfect family - 2 children; 1 son and 1 daughter.
Directed by Craig Hepworth, he does a good job at putting his own stamp on the production. He captured the period, genre and characters fantastically. It is supposed to be an extravagant piece and that’s what is delivered. Considering the size limitations in the King's Arms, an excellent job was done all round. There was an air of slickness to the production which is great when you consider exactly how small the space is. Hepworth was also on lighting, and along with Karl Burge did a great job in keeping the tech interesting for the show. I especially liked the use of music during the scenes to set the theme. The pair also did a great job in keeping a rowdy bunch of theatre goers in check, who proceeded to speak loudly, spill drinks and drop bags throughout the 90 minute show.
‘Die, Mommie, Die!’ is one of Vertigo’s finest productions, and Angela Arden is amongst the best characters. It’s a perfect example of hag horror and caters perfectly to audiences who enjoy brash comedy. Well done to all involved.
Reviewer - Brian Madden
on - 17/4/19
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