Theatr y Byd |
| Theatr Y Byd- Sex and Power at the Beau Rivage , Sherman Theatre (Venue 2) , March 26, 2003 |
| ‘Sex, fuck, bugger, balls’, Such vulgarisms are almost meaningless today and trip off the lips of the many but in the early part of the twentieth century they were firmly forbidden. D H Lawrence with his book “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” tried to break down this reserve but the book was listed and he himself, virtually barred from the country. It was a great relief to English Society that he chose to live on the Côte D’Azur. The brief moment when Rhys Davies, at Lawrence’s invitation, joined him and his wife Frieda at the Hotel Beau-Rivage was of no particular significance. No one knew then that Lawrence would be dead in a very short time. This was a very brave play to stage – a lot of words, elegantly written by Lewis Davies with no great dramatic events. We were invited to peer through the keyhole of the hotel door and observe a day in the life of a very ill and very successful author, his wife and a visiting young literary aquaintance. Designer James North gives us an attractive and colourful setting; lit by Chris Illingworth we are able to feel the Mediterranean sun. Morgan Rhys a smartly dressed and innocent looking Rhys Davies strolls expectantly into this environment. Lawrence and Frieda are hospitable and welcoming. Lawrence and Frieda almost never exchange words of affection or endearment but through Lewis Davies’ words and the delicate playing of Martina Messing and Brendan Charelson we become clearly aware of the deep feeling they have for one another. They throw around the ‘banned’ words that slip easily into their conversation. Frieda tries to shock the young homosexual Rhys in her usual exotic way then tries to seduce him. They stand before us naked, two beautiful and very attractive creatures. They quickly run off to bathe in the sea before we can become too excited. I was relieved to see that her breasts were far more symmetrical that in Lawrence’s painting of her on which he worked from time to time. Away with Rhys at another hotel, Lawrence played by Charleson, looking more like a robust Hemingway than the consumptive author effected illness so realistically that I was almost reaching for my mobile to dial 999. Frieda is summoned and rescues her partner and life goes on but not for very much longer. Yes concentration is required to appreciate this play but with Chris Morgan’s no nonsense direction you will be rewarded. Throughout March and April the play tours Wales and also visits the Ustinov Studio in Bath. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
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