HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-10-12, Page 23E ntertainment\
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Theatre Review
‘Hay Fever’, a long, funny
trip away from the norm
Always on stage
Fiona Reid plays former actress Judith Bliss in the Noel
Coward play Hay Fever which opened the Grand Theatre
season in London Friday night. The problem with Ms Bliss
and her whole family is that they are as dramatic off stage
as she was on stage, bringing chaos to those around them.
By Keith Roulston
For people who regularly attend
the Blyth Festival, probably noth
ing could be farther from their life
experience than the comedies of
British playwright Noel Coward.
Yet despite that there are flashes of
recognition while watching Hay
Fever which opened at London's
Grand Theatre, Friday night.
While the enjoyment of going to
the Blyth Festival involves recog
nizing people and situations from
our everyday life, Hay Fever, and
Mr. Coward's plays in general, is
peopled by sophisticated, witty
wealthy British people with plenty
of time and servants on their hands.
Yet there are moments when
everyone will connect with the
plight of the four visitors to the
chaotic home of the Bliss family in
the English countryside outside of
London. Who hasn't experienced
the feeling of wanting to slide into
a hole when two members of a
family began arguing, acting as if
you weren't even there? Who hasn't
had something break or go wrong
while visiting someone's house and
not known what to do?
It's these moments of recognition
that manage to tie Hay Fever to
reality and keep it from taking off
completely into the realm of the
absurd.
The Bliss family is certainly well
on its way to the unbelievable.
There's Judith Bliss, who has
retired from the stage but not from
acting: everything she docs is a per
formance. There's her husband
David, a famous novelist who can't
slop creating fiction even when he
leaves his typewriter. There arc
their theatrical children, son Simon
and daughter Sorel who certainly
take after their parents. Even their
maid, Mrs. Bliss's former dresser
from theatre days, is eccentric
beyond belief.
Into this insane world drop four
unsuspecting guests, each invited
by a Bliss family member interest
ed in a little romance. They soon
find themselves, by turns, ignored,
confused and romanced (by some
one other than the person who
invited them for romantic purpos
es).
Mr. Coward is quoted, in the pro
gram notes, as saying Hay Fever
"has no plot at all and remarkably
little action" and so depends on
outstanding performances from the
cast to make it work. He would be
delighted by the work of the cast
pulled together by Grand Artistic
Director Martha Henry.
Fiona Reid is most familiar to
Canadian audiences from her tele
vision series The King of Kensing
ton but she has a wide background
in stage comedy with such theatres
as The Show Festival. She has pre
viously played the extravagant
Judith Bliss in Hay Fever at Mani
toba Theatre Centre and the Citadel
Theatre in Edmonton. She knows
how to get the most out of Mr.
Coward's lines, pausing at just the
right time to draw the most laughter
possible.
As the totally self-centred novel
ist David Bliss, Benedict Campbell
is at his blustery best. Ben Carlson
plays their would-be artist son
Simon while Elizabeth Marmur
plays the equally eccentric Sorel.
The roles of all the Bliss family
members require a tremendous
amount of energy to keep the whirl
wind of action in the Bliss house
hold going.
While the Bliss family members
are creating chaos, their guests are
reacting and, though their parts are
smaller, they provide some of the
most precious moments in the play.
Local audience members will rec
ognize Paulina Gillis, who has
appeared at Blyth in Firefly, Local
Talent, Lilly, Alta and Cakewalk.
Here she plays the shy, not-too-
bright Jackie Coryton, who can't
cope with the insanity of the Bliss
household. She comes expecting a
fling with daddy Bliss then finds
herself unwillingly engaged to son
Bliss, only to escape the home with
the help of another young guest.
Some of her best moments are cre
ated without saying a word at all as
she tries to cope with the bewilder
ing world she has found herself in.
Robert Haley also manages to
bring high hilarity with the raise of
an eyebrow or some marvellous
piece of physical comedy as
Richard Greatham, the diplomat
who tries to keep his calm
demeanor among the chaos.
Ted Atherton plays boxer Sandy
Tyrell who comes infatuated with
Judith Bliss but finds his defences
can't fend off her romantic daugh
ter. He's a master of the double-
take, winning laughter when he
doesn't even have a line.
Nancy Palk as Myra Arundel
seems at first as if she might be
every bit as theatrical as the Bliss
family but before the play is over
she, like the other visitors, is hang
ing on for dear life and glad to
escape (when the visitors finally do
bolt out the door the Blisses are so
busy arguing with each other, they
don’t even notice).
Marti Maraden, who has turned
from acting at Stratford Festival, to
directing, keeps the action frantic
on the stage while getting outstand
ing performances from all cast
members. The final scene of act
one is nearly worth the price of
admission as the family blissfully
ignores their guests while the
guests try to figure out how to
react.
Set in England, during the glam
ourous 1920s, peopled by rich and
beautiful, Hay Fever may be a long
journey from everyday life but its a
very funny trip.
Donald Ives
on October 17
From his wife Jean
& son Hughie & wife Carman
(Doe
for
RON STEVENSON
& NICOLE OLEJNIK
Saturday, October 15,1994
9 P.M. - 1 A.M.
At Brussels, Morris & Grey
Community Centre
Age of Majority
Tickets $5.00/Person
For more information call
522-0994 or 887-6065
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1994. PAGE 23.
Dynamic speaker to
conduct BBA seminar
Angela Jackson, dynamic
speaker and seminar leader for such
companies as Chrysler Canada,
IBM and Bell Canada will conduct
a seminar Oct. 24 at Blyth
Memorial Hall as part of the first
fall dinner of the Blyth Business
Association.
Topic of the seminar is: "Putting
on the Ritz - How to Alleviate Fear
and Excel in Customer Service".
Topics touched on by Ms Jackson
include:
• How to make quality customer
service the competitive edge of
this decade.
• How to remove the barriers that
stand in the way of delivering
superior service.
• How to discover creative,
innovative ways to add value.
• How to support your service
people.
• How to improve your ability to
understand customer needs.
• How to deliver the WOW of
excellent customer service.
• How to practice the seven steps
of customer success.
A former teacher who moved on
to work in television, Ms Angela
Jackson became a corporate trainer
presenting leadership, customer
service and communication
programs. In 1985 she began her
own company, Angela Jackson and
Associates. She has also written the
book Celebrating Anger, about
turning negatives into positives.
Her fee for this event is being
offset by Federal Business
Development Bank as part of the
celebration of Small Business
Week. Tickets for dinner plus a
two-hour seminar are just $20 in
advance. A social hour will beheld
from 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner
at 7:15. Ms Jackson will speak
following dinner. Tickets arc
available at Carol's Candies in
Blyth (523-4700) or The Citizen
(523-4792 or 887-9114). Because
of the importance of this speaker
business people from neighbouring
communities are invited to attend.
Blyth Business Association was
formed this spring, as an
organization to promote- the village
and to provide opportunities for
business people in Blyth and area
to meet and upgrade their skills.
COME CURLING
at the
Vanastra Curling Club
SEASON STARTS
Friday, October 28
No Experience Necessary
Equipment & Insturction
Supplied'
For information contact
Murray Adams
282 9841
Trish Scott
233-7400
Forthcoming
Marriage
Happy 25th
Wedding
Anniversary
RALPH & NANCY
CAMPBELL
The family of
Ralph and Nancy invites
family and friends to an
Afternoon Social
on Oct. 15/94
from 2 - 4 p.m.
at St. Andrew’s
Presbyterian Church,
Wingham.
Best Wishes Only!
MEDD-LEE
Together, with our parents,
Margaret Medd, Clinton
Jim Medd, Florida
and
David and Rosemarie Lee,
Blyth,
we are pleased to announce the
forthcoming marriage of
Amanda Margaret
and
Jason John
The wedding will take place
Saturday, November 5,1994
at 7:00 p.m.
at Londesboro United Church.
Open reception to follow at
Blyth Community Centre
9:00 p.m.