At Fluellen Theatre |
| Fluellen Theatre Company- Oldenberg , Arts Wing, Grand Theatre, Swansea , November 1, 2012 |
Fluellen continued their excellent series of Lunchtime Theatre in the Arts Wing with this little gem from the pen of Barry Bermange. Originally written as a television play for BBC's 30-Minute Theatre in 1967, 'Oldenberg' still manages to pack a powerful punch today.In it we meet an elderly couple about to let a room in their house: a room which used to be their son's, who we assume to have died. The play opens with the man practising a speech to welcome the lodger, who is being seen as a potential surrogate son by the couple. Steve Grey as The Man gives a suitably hesitant performance as he practices the speech in front of his wife, played sympathetically by Claire Novelli, who encourages him as he attempts to improve the speech. Only when she begins to question who exactly the new tenant is does the tone begin to turn from welcoming to increasingly hostile. 'Oldenberg' she decides doesn't sound very English. Is he German she wonders? Or, worse, Jewish? As they debate the possible nationality of their new tenant, their imagination runs riot. Prejudice piles on top of prejudice as 'Oldenberg' becomes in their minds Irish and then, horror of horrors, black. The tension gets greater and greater until finally it spirals out of control, and it is a tribute to the performances of both actors that it is handled with such assurance. If anything, the use of the word 'nigger' today is more shocking than when the play was written; certainly we are shocked by the outrageous prejudices of the couple, but perhaps more so because we are too well aware that they still exist to a greater or lesser extent. Director Peter Richards finally makes a nicely judged appearance at the end of the play as the eponymous 'Oldenberg' and it is revealed that he is English – but blind. Disability it seems is something else which the couple are prejudiced against. Nearly half a century on from its first outing, 'Oldenberg' leaves the audience with plenty of food for thought. |
Reviewed by: Derek Webb |
This review has been read 1814 times There are 23 other reviews of productions with this title in our database:
|
