A special celebration of the Everyman’s 60th birthday season, brought back the revival of Willy Russell’s one-woman play, Shirley Valentine which first premiered at the Everyman theatre in 1986.
This fabulous production is directed by Stephen Fletcher and produced by Harriet Warnock and starred the talented Liverpool actor, Helen Carter.
The production opens with the scene set as a typical basic kitchen from the 1980’s,
‘Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer’ is loudly playing as Mrs Shirley Bradshaw enters the kitchen, with her food shopping in a string bag. The music fades as she takes off her coat and shoes and puts on her pinny and slippers.
She immediately opens a bottle of Riesling wine that her daughter Millanda has told her is the trendy drink of the moment, and as she sips from her glass she proceeds to put away her shopping whilst addressing the audience and talking to the wall, revealing how dull and monotonous her life has become now that her two children have grown up and left, and she’s just left alone with her husband Joe.
Her son lives in a bedsit in St Helens, and she wishes it was somewhere more glamorous like Childwall or Woolton, and her daughter shares a flat with her friend in Fazakerley.
She reveals the loss of her identity as her true self, the young vivacious single woman she once was, Shirley Valentine, and not the drudgery of a life she has somehow ended up with now as Shirley Bradshaw. While she is expressing her views on her life with Joe, she explains that she gave the mince she just bought for his tea, to her friends’ dog, and he will be having chips and egg tonight instead and won’t be happy.
She explains her friend Jane is going on holiday to Greece and has bought her a ticket to accompany her. She dismisses going with Jane as a ridiculous idea, until her daughter falls out with her friend and says she is moving back home.
The set is a full working kitchen (Katie Scott, Set and Costume Design) and as she talks to the wall and the audience, she switches the deep fat fryer on and peels the potatoes and cuts into chips and puts them into the fryer. She butters two rounds of bread and cracks two eggs into a frying pan and fries the eggs. Once cooked (all real and in real time) she plates up the prepared food and carefully places it on the table setting for Joe.
The sound of the door in the hallway opens indicating Joe coming in from work, the lights dim, as Shirley briefly leaves the set, and reappears dressed all ready for her holiday to Greece with Jane, with her suitcase packed, and her passport and sunhat.
After putting up with a disgruntled Joe over his chips and egg tea, she explains to the audience and wall, this was the final straw that made her change her mind and join Jane in Greece. This ends the first half of this fabulous play.
The second half is set on the beach in Greece with a table and parasol surrounded by large rocks. Shirley donning a swimsuit and shades appears on stage and proceeds to talk to the rock (instead of the wall at home) explaining how Jane has left her on her own for four days after being chatted up on the plane flying to Greece.
Whilst Shirley is dining alone, she is asked by Costas the restaurant owner, to join him sailing around the island on his boat. This sailing trip turns into a fling where she re-names Costas with a pet name of Columbus, the reason why becomes clear as the story proceeds.
She knows it is only a short holiday fling, but it has reignited and awakened her passion for life again and she decides not to return home to the dull life she has endured.
The play ends where Shirley sits sipping Riesling wine on the beach and explains that she has a job at the restaurant offering the British people who dislike Greek food, cooking chips and egg!! and that Joe is on his way flying to Greece desperate to see her, but doubts he will recognise her, as she is once more Shirley Valentine.
As the play ends, the lights dim and ‘Running up that Hill by Kate Bush’ softly plays. The audience applaud very loudly and whistle and shout, and Helen Carter received a standing ovation, for a truly outstanding performance.
This is a very enjoyable, witty, engaging play, full of comedic timing excellently executed.
Carter had the audience in the palm of her hand, in awe and howling with laughter all the way through, local areas were referenced too, including the famous Adelphi Hotel.
This is an excellent production which runs until 29th March.
Reviewer: Jill Ollerton 7.03.2025
No comments:
Post a Comment