I had never heard of the play 'My Three Angels' before, and its authors Sam Spewack, Bella Spewack and Albert Husson meant nothing to me either. So I had to do a little research and digging of my own. Variously referred to as 'comedy', 'black comedy' and 'farce', it seems that the play has had a limited but successful run on Broadway as well as having a few film and TV adaptations (or at least films taking inspiration from the story); but remains almoste exclusively, in the UK at least, a somewhat neglected piece brought out on occasion by amateur companies looking for something a little out of the ordinary at Christmastime.
The play is set in the early part of the 20th century in French Guiana, a French overseas territory on the edge of the Amazonian jungle, and we are on the island of Cayenne (also known as Devil's Island), which at that time - and right up until 1953 when it shut down (and was also the year the play was published!), was a penal colony for prisoners from all over the then 'French Empire', and known for its harsh treatment of convicts with an extraordinarily high death rate. Interestingly, although not related to the play at all, it was where Captain Alfred Dreyfus was sent into political exile.
It is Christmas Eve, and the play takes place in the living room of a general store on the island run by an elderly ex-pat and his wife, and the story follows two consecutive paths. One being the arrival of shop owner M. Lemare and his nephew. Lemare being a hard nut and taskmaster who has heard rumours (true in fact) that the shop's book-keeping is somewhat lax, and customers are taking too many liberties with credit. He aims to put a stop to this. The second narrative concerns his ineffective and put-upon nephew Paul and his doomed romance with the shopkeeper's daughter. So far so good, and yet also, so uninspiring too. Nothing unusual or original in these plotlines. Where this play's story scores points is in the inclusion of the 'three angels'. Three convicts have been employed by the shopkeeper to mend his roof, and as the play progresses they engratiate themselves further and further into the family's business and ultimately, albeit rather tragi-comedically, make everything turn out for the best in the end. The script is light-hearted, humorous and entertainingly crafted.
Enter Oldham's Lyceum Theatre's presentation...
Once again, I marvelled at how, on such a small stage with no wings, the space can be made to look airy and uncluttered. How the simple painting sky blue of the theatre's back wall can give the impression of tropical infiniteness. Once again, the costumes and set decor were impressive. Although perhaps all not absolutely historically acccurate, a superb overall assimilation was provided and we bought into it completely. Lighting and sound were both complimentary, and I enjoyed the inclusion of pre-show and interval authentic French Christmas music.
The standard of acting at the Lyceum is always good, and this evening was no exception. Some stalwart regulars joined forces with a little new blood, and their understanding of their individual characters and their part in the development was clear and there were some really lovely moments within the play where tensions were raised and the actors rose admirably to these. I especially liked the times when the three 'angels' were driven to almost caricature brusqueness when threatening or bodyguarding.
Paul Gledhill and Margaret Thompson led the cast as M et Mme Dulay, shopkeepers. The exposition, (ie: the start of the play where we get to know the outlines of the plot and who is who) was somewhat sluggish this evening. Sadly, most farces suffer the same fate, as we can't really laugh at comic capers until we know why and who. The entrance of their daughter Marie-Louise (Jenny Owen) raised the tempo and pushed the play's dynamics into a more comedic pace, which was later emulated by the grand entrance of Gaston Lemare (John Fletcher) and nephew Paul (Ben Johnson). For me though it was the very human portrayal of the three convicts which really made this play. Alfred, Jules and Joseph (Paul Foster, Jon Comyn-Platt and Phil McCarthy) worked superbly together and really gave lovely insights into their past lives, their current situation, and their outlook on life. It is their comedy capers, all very well-meaning, which cause trouble for the family but ultimately bring about a happy end. Together they showed skill at ensemble acting and comedy timing, and individually they showed sincerity in their (almost) soliloquies.
Directed by Ian Orry, the play was taken very much at face value and treated as a comedy. This worked in the actors' favour I feel, as they were all natural and skilled in naturalistic acting. Had it been taken as a farce, where a much more heightened style of acting is required, it might not have hit home as much. However, that being said, I still feel there was a lack of pace in the piece as a whole. It was the opening night and so this can be forgiven and overlooked in the hope that the cues will be picked up a lot quicker and the caustic one-liners signposted a little more as the run progresses.
If you are looking for a comedy play about Christmas which isn't about Christmas at all, then this is it. My Three Angels runs at The Lyceum until 30 November.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 22/11/19
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