RELATIVELY SPEAKING AT THE ARTS THEATRE
Steven Pacey and Liza Goddard as Philip and Sheila in Relatively Speaking
Alan Ayckbourn says he wrote Relatively Speaking ‘overnight, in a frenzy’. The result is a fast-fire ingenious quasi farce ; just as funny today as at its first night in 1967.
HIs mentor Stephen Joseph had commissioned Alan, battered and bruised from his first play’s disastrous flop - to write a play for The Library Theatre Scarborough to make holidaymakers laugh ‘when their seaside holiday was ruined by the rain.’ They did and they still do.
It has survival skills to outlast the years. Decades after its debut, it is intriguing brilliantly crafted - a captivating caper, part P.G.Wodehouse part Noel Coward with a dash of Parisian Feydeau..
But back in 1967, times were rather different. It may have been the Swinging Sixties but standards of what was thought of as public morality were high. The play opens with the once controversial scene - an unmarried couple in bed together, never before seen on the British stage. Actually they’re not in bed together , that would have been too much ‘in the morning’ ( afternoon sex was all right) but it’s clear they live together. Jennifer Hilary the young lead in the first production wore a dressing gown with too short a hemline - the Director ordered it lenghened with the memorable instruction “ Don’t let the audience see too much of your legs or they’ll miss the half the dialogue’.
Olivia Le Andersen as Ginny in last night’s Relatively Speaking
The four actors on stage at last night’s Arts production manage to make this a must-see revival ; super-subtle but hinged on a minor misunderstanding in a manner just short of genius. The casting is inspired. Antony Eden as Greg the young cohabit wakes naked in a single bed. Bemused it takes him a while to realise where he is as he wraps himself in a giant sheet ready to make tea in the flat. Without a word, he had the audience laughing. Greg is a funny wise cracking bumbling bloke with an endearing candour. His girlfriend Ginny , a springy energetic Olivia Le Andersen is on her way out to catch a train. All is not well. There are too many bunches of flowers and concealed chocolate boxes around the bedsit, to give poor Greg the idea someone else is on the scene. Is there? Or does Greg lack to confidence to trust his lovely new girlfriend ?
Liza Goddard is totally brilliant in her role. She is the quintessence of a puzzled troubled but serene woman in a quandary, whilst Steven Pacey as husband Philip takes his role to far ends of middle aged frustration as he storms about his perfect country garden.
For a boost to the spirits on a winter evening, this play takes some beating. Do go. The sets are superb, the acting brilliant and the play is as much a tour de force as it ever was
