Laura Wade’s entertaining play ‘Home, I’m Darling’ graced the iconic Altrincham Garrick Playhouse stage for a one week run. Wade is clearly a talented play- and screenwriter with a huge catalogue of plays, books and films which have won her accolades for her work.
The title ‘Home, I’m Darling’ is a mix of an old phrase from post war, where men would go out to work and proudly announce “I’m Home Darling” on their return from a day’s work. This usually was greeted in the 1950s by a dutiful wife fetching her husband’s slippers for him to slip on whilst a cocktail was poured for him, and dinner was in the oven.
It's hard to believe in this modern world that women would do such a thing but in the 1950s it seems like the gender segregation was the norm, women stayed at home and men provided. Crazy I know but they even had books and guidelines on how to be a good housewife and books on ‘How to run your home without help’!
Wade’s play depicts a modern 21st century woman Judy (Fiona Primrose) actually choosing to live in a time capsule of the 1950s with all the chores and duties of a wife in this era. Judy presents herself as a doting 1950’s housewife - dutifully making her estate agent husband Johnny (Hector Macduff) his breakfast before work, sending him off with a packed lunch ready to engage in her daily household chores ensuring everything is perfect for his return.
What started off as a six-month trial following Judy’s redundancy from her well paid managerial job turns into three years of what seems like marital bliss for the couple. This strange fantasy lifestyle choice seems to have spilled out from a childhood rebellion because of growing up in a feminist compound as a child. Judy has never witnessed the 1950s personally but is drawn to the idea of looking after her man and their home. Her staunch feminist mother Sylvia who is played by the incredibly talented Jacque Hamilton is none to pleased by her daughter’s fantasy lifestyle and has no hesitation in telling her daughter of the truth of the 1950’s lifestyle and its challenges for women of the time.
Friends Fran (Katie Karitakis) and Marcus (Paul Cudby) share the couple's desire in all things retro, but for them it’s a hobby, whereas for Judy it’s a crutch, her stability her darling home. We soon discover that at home the idyllic 1950’s housewife Judy is actually the ‘Darling’ in all this with her perfect depiction of a wife envied by some but ridiculed by others. Defiant to all others Judy is determined to live out her fantasy dream life and only questions her ethos when Johnny becomes dissatisfied by the perfect pampered husband world of the 1950’s lifestyle.
Director Su Mowat has done a fabulous job on delivering this witty and entertaining Laura Wade’s play, equally Emma Kay has polished the performance with her stunning choreography throughout the prominent dance scenes. Huge credit to the creative team for producing such an authentic setting of a 1950’s style home, every item on the set was true to the era and intriguing to see.
Outstanding performance from Fiona Primrose for her portrayal of Judy, I truly invested in her character and her plight to care for her beloved Johnny at any cost. Fabulous chemistry from both couplings, all working well together to produce an entertaining evening at the theatre.
Well done to all involved as it is clear that a lot of hard work and energy has gone into the production. This showed an enjoyable insight into the world of the 1950s and the role of a good housewife at the time, it's worlds apart from the era we live in in 2023 but was quite comical to see and read the guide explaining how wives should treat their husbands.
The show runs at the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse until Saturday the 7th of October, so if you wish to be transported back in time and witness the trials and tribulations of the wonderful Judy then grab a ticket and enjoy the nostalgia through her eyes.
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