Review of At the Torch from the theatre dance and drama in Wales web site

At the Torch

The Torch- Who's Afraid of Rachel Roberts? , Torch Theatre, Milford Haven , April 27, 2012

After seeing this stunning one-woman performance by Helen Griffin, I imagine that everyone, from BBC talk-show host to the Hollywood’s most famous celebrity, was afraid of Rachael Roberts when she was at her worst behaviour. Perhaps Robert Mitchum was the exception when at a party she is drunk on all fours, biting at his leg - but he is also an indication of the society she had entered.

Helen Griffin uses Holly Pigott’s ingenious, clinically-white set as her canvas, and with brushstrokes of emotion and dramatic energy she produces a startling image of a Welsh actress whose talent and love carries her from a Welsh childhood blighted by insecurity, into a successful film career and onto a world of riches and glamour that she is so ill-equipped to handle.
We are shown how this feisty, well respected actress struggles to find a foothold in Hollywood’s glamorously layered social society that her superstar husband, Rex Harrison negotiates with such ease, and how she propels herself along the nowadays so familiar route for talent, through addiction and depression to self-destruction.

I was enthralled as every component of the set took on significance and Helen acted out Rachael’s tragic life - not in an orderly manner from birth through to her eventual outrageous behaviour and downfall – but in raucous and gentle unrelated segments that came together to produce a revealing and honest portrayal far beyond the ambit of any biography.

But this is not just a plunge into misery. Amidst her despair we see a biting dark humour that could only have its origins in her homeland (that ‘most expensive silence’ with her psychiatrist), and the obscenities she hurls at the audience are not the familiar, modern substitutes for dialogue and talent but are so perfectly in context with this image of a life that is in self-destruct mode.

I suspect that Peter Doran has tempered his direction to allow full reign to this Helen Griffin/Dave Ainsworth collaboration and I forecast that the Wales’ tour of this Torch Theatre Company production will be a great success.

Certainly none of the audience were speaking the words of the theme song ‘Is that all there is?’ as they left the performance.

Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 April
By Helen Griffin and Dave Ainsworth
Directed by Peter Doran
Designed by Holly Piggott
Performed by Helen Griffin ****

Reviewed by: Ron Waters

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There are 81 other reviews of productions with this title in our database:

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At the Torch- reviewed by Tim Barrett (04 December 2017)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Tim Barrett (13 October 2017)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Michael Kelligan (20 July 2016)
At the Torch- reviewed by Michael Kelligan (04 March 2016)
At the Torch- reviewed by Adam Somerset (13 October 2015)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (09 December 2013)
At the Torch- reviewed by John Cole (13 March 2013)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (03 December 2012)
At the Torch- reviewed by Adam Somerset (10 November 2012)
At the Torch- reviewed by Amanda Griffiths (15 October 2012)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (08 October 2012)
At the Torch- reviewed by Jessie Condon (05 October 2012)
At the Torch- reviewed by Jessie Condon (03 August 2012)
At the Torch- reviewed by Victor Hallett (16 May 2012)
At the Torch- reviewed by Adam Somerset (10 May 2012)
At the Torch- reviewed by Victor Hallett (09 June 2011)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (14 May 2011)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (15 December 2010)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (11 October 2010)
At the Torch- reviewed by Tim Barrett (19 August 2010)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (13 August 2009)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (07 August 2009)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (04 August 2009)
At the Torch- reviewed by Adam Somerset (26 April 2009)
At the Torch- reviewed by Tim Barrett (12 December 2008)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (05 April 2008)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (04 December 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (25 October 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by Michael Kelligan (20 July 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by Michael Kelligan (09 March 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters, The Stage (16 February 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (12 February 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by Terry Johnson, The Stage (15 October 2005)
At the Torch- reviewed by Fiona Phillips (12 October 2005)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (06 October 2005)
At the Torch- reviewed by Simon Carr. Western Telegraph (09 December 2004)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (23 October 2004)
At the Torch- reviewed by Emma Jones, Western Telegraph (21 October 2004)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Walters, Milford Mercury (21 October 2004)
At the Torch- reviewed by Graham Williams (10 March 2004)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (06 February 2004)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (10 February 2003)
At the Torch- reviewed by Vivien Stoddart (06 February 2003)
At the Torch- reviewed by Jenny Hanson, Tenby Observer (05 February 2003)
At the Torch- reviewed by ANDREW DAVIES, TENBY OBSERVER (31 January 2003)
At the Torch- reviewed by Viv Stoddart, The Stage (06 December 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (06 December 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by JENNY HANSON (06 December 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by ANDREW DAVIES, TENBY OBSERVER (06 December 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Assorted Edinburgh papers (02 August 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Zoe Hewett (26 March 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Zoe Hewett (09 March 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Michael Kelligan (09 March 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Rebecca Nesvet (28 February 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Viv Stoddart, The Stage (21 February 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Andrews Davies (15 February 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by MILFORD & WEST WALES MERCURY (15 February 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Keith Johnson, Western Telegaph (13 February 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Tenby Observer (07 December 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Viv Stoddart, Milford Mercury (07 December 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Janet Bott (07 December 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Fiona Phillips (05 December 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Vivien Stoddart (26 October 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (11 September 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (09 August 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Victoria Cooper (10 March 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Elaine Atack (03 March 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Rebecca Nesvett (28 February 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Vivien Stoddart (The Stage) (15 February 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (14 February 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (08 February 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (21 October 2000)

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