Laura Wade's new play 'Home, I'm Darling', a co-production between Theatr Clwyd and Fiery Angel, stars Katherine Parkinson and has recently won the Olivier for best new comedy. The story of a modern woman's attempt to live as the idyllic 50's housewife had all the ingredients for a top class piece of theatre and did not disappoint.
I was grateful to attend the opening night of Home, I'm Darling at the Lowry Theatre Salford, part of its limited run after a sold- out run at the National Theatre and a West End run at the Duke of York's Theatre. The Lowry is a stunning theatre, with amazing views of the surrounding Quays, there are several different areas to eat and relax before and during the show, it is definitely worth getting there early and ensuring not to get caught in local traffic.
Tamara Harvey's direction brought this brilliant play to life with an abundance of physical energy and nuanced gestures that portrayed the nostalgic 50s so sweetly it was impossible not to be swept up and along with the characters fantasy lifestyles. The opening scene as Katherine Parkinson's character Judy walked across the stage in her swing dress with enough hip movement to make the petticoats sway side to side with her stride showed a commanding power over the style and a real authenticity to her characters love of vintage.
The story centres around the character Judy as she strives to achieve perfect housewife status, attempting to uphold the idealised notions of the 50's stay-at-home wife from archaic books and fantasy-based nostalgia. Drama ensues as the modern world berates her in the form of her mother Sylvia, a militant feminist and her husband's female boss and potential love rival Alex.
The performers were all talented and made for a very strong ensemble, believable relationships of partners, friends and family. The audience laughed with delight at stereotypical gendered issues because of the casts highly skilled comedic delivery, the laughs kept coming throughout the show. One of the stand-out performances came from Susan Brown (as Sylvia the mother), I gave an internal cheer to see an older female role so well written and developed. Brown's star quality shone in this role, as the voice of experienced feminism watching with disdain as her daughter, whom she had raised as a militant feminist, chose to become a fawning housewife to her fallible husband. Brown's impassioned speech in the second half had great sway on her daughter Judy, the visible impact her words had were the obvious pivotal moment for Parkinson's character to make changes to her extreme lifestyle choice.
The design for this production is impressive, a stunning set made up of a two tiered house fronts that opened up to reveal rooms so detailed and beautifully crafted it was heartbreaking to see them decimated after the interval. What had been decorated in authentic vintage design was suddenly raw plaster walls and interiors strewn with debris to represent the house before it had been renovated. Then through pure theatre magic and great choreography the actors transformed the set back to its former glory within a two minute dance about the whole house; the bare plastered walls of the living room were revolved to reveal the immaculate wall paper on the side of the slats, curtains and pictures zipped back into place and the audience were transported weeks ahead in time to the house's completed glory.
Lucy Carter's lighting design was constantly evocative, the audience's focus was pulled from different rooms by use of brightness and colour that reflected the vibrant jive music and dancing. Scenes in the kitchen when the sunlight streamed across the set washing over the actors were of a filmic beauty.
The audience as a whole were delighted with the production, several rounds of applause erupted during the performance for stand-out scenes and the applause for the actors' bows were thunderous. A tremendous production deserving of its huge recognition.
Reviewer - Kerry Ely
on - 23/4/19
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