Noel Coward is famous for light, witty comedies such as ‘Private Lives’, ‘Present Laughter’ and ‘Hayfever’; ‘The Vortex’ is not one of those kind of plays although as with most of Coward’s work, it is centred around frivolous, upperclass living. To a large extent, this play is more comparable to some of the more sombre works of Ibsen, such as ‘Ghosts’ or ‘A Doll’s House’ where dark undercurrents lie beneath a wealthy and cosy exterior, but set against the kind of stifling 1930’s Englishness, so beloved of the likes of Terrence Rattigan.
The setting for Stockport Garrick’s production of ‘The Vortex’ was very well achieved, with plenty of Art Deco-style objects on display, the furniture very much of the period and a pleasing powder-blue backdrop. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the costuming during the first act, with the butler’s trousers too short, the men’s waistcoats clearly too small (and tight), some male hairstyles were clearly too long and the dresses not carrying the sense of fashion and wealth of the social class depicted. This was largely put right in the second act, with one of the young women wearing a delightful flapper dress, contrasting well with that of another actress clad in a long, flambouant glittery period outfit.
The story centres round various complex relationships which at times was in serious danger of falling into melodrama. The language of the time can, to modern ears, sound somewhat strange with men gleefully declaring themselves to be gay without any hint of sexuality and young women addressed as ‘old gal’. This was a very different time and the whole of the play has to be understood in this context. The pace was very slow to start off with, taking a long time to really get going.
The parts required some acting versatility as cracks of raw emotion were seen to gradually open up amidst gay, happy countenances. Matt Todd excelled as Nicky Lancaster, a smart young man hiding considerable emotional baggage and Sam Marriot gave good support as his friend, Tom Veryan. Sophie Lea-Griffiths was ideal as visiting bright young thing Bunty Mainwaring and Tracy Ray came over very much as frivolous member of the idle rich, Clara Hibbert. Tracy Burns gave a tour-de force performance as Nicky’s mother Florence, although her costumes did not match the bright styles of the younger women she was emulating. Helena Redfern-Hyatt presented a more stable character as Helen Saville, although it would have been nice to have seen a bit more emotion in the portrayal.
The scenes showing the build-up of the mother’s jealousy and desire to still be young and pretty were well performed, leading to the break-up of her son and fiancé (and a passionate kiss between her and the mother’s toyboy!). The final scene between mother and son was excellently performed showing all kinds emotions from each of them as they broke-down, having to finally face up to reality. You could actually feel the pain and felt sorry for the mother even though she deserved what she got.
Stockport Garrick gave a creditable rendition of a challenging play and director Jon Atkin well-handled a large cast, presenting a bygone world which still has something to say to the modern world, particularly with the power of advertising (and the entertainment world) to affect some women in refusing to accept the natural aging process, as well as the challenges of holding a family together.
Reviewer - John Waterhouse
on - 27/4/19
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