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Performance Monkey

David Jays on theatre and dance

Cut, but not forgotten

May 3, 2009 by David Jays 2 Comments

I’ve been having a very good time reviewing theatre for the Sunday Times this spring (interesting things to see, nice editors: we don’t take these things for granted). But the word count is tight, and that presents difficulties: especially if, like me, one of your pleasures is collecting gemstone performances in smaller roles.
These are often cherishable – partly because the part isn’t heralded, and the actors may be less well known. And you may not have read about them in the reviews – because, hello – so they feel like your own personal treat. They may not carry a play, but they nuance it, colour its atmosphere in almost imperceptible ways.
Last week, for example, I loved Becky Hindley in Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba in Southampton. She has done tons of great work on British radio, so it was great to attach a (strong, resolute) face to the name. But there wasn’t room for a mention – she wasn’t playing the terrifying Bernarda or one of her cowed daughters, or even the household’s principal servant, all of whom had apparently more significant roles. But Hindley’s maid, dog tired and raw with resentment, did much to establish the play’s atmosphere of seething entrapment – everyone hates Bernarda, but no one dares defy her. Hindley’s wordless cleaning and pacing before the play proper begins makes this clear.
Servants often get cut out of short reviews. It perpetuates vile class inequalities, but how do you judge between a supporting role and a set design (I often aim to mention the lighting designer, but there’s another frequently lost cause)? Come the revolution, I’ll be sorry (though on that blessed day, we’ll also remember that the poshest character doesn’t necessarily deserve the greatest stage time and the rewrites will begin). In the meantime, I wish I’d had room to hurrah Stephanie Jacob‘s lovely performance in Burnt by the Sun at the National Theatre: another maid who brought on atmosphere along with the tea, this time as a lachrymose retainer, subject to titters from the genteel family she worked for, her soft face creasing with tears, neglect and shy smiles.
Ensembles are another worry. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman’s earnest, fantastical epic now touring in Birmingham Rep’s production, had some weak performances in vital roles. But some of the hardworking ensemble deserved medals, especially Nicholas Asbury and Emma Pallant. He brought an unpredictably comic gleam to the baggy story (especially when voicing a pint-sized spy), while she gave it a hollow-voiced solemnity (memorably as a vicious, lonely harpy). Their every appearance, however brief, was vivid, and extended the show’s emotional range.
None of these plays would have been the same with other actors in these smallish but vital roles. But at least audiences who encounter them in the theatre will have the thrill of seeing these performances wholly fresh, and of feeling that they are, yes, a personal treat.

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Comments

  1. roger crowther says

    May 4, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    Glad you appreciate Beck’s talents. I’ve seen her in excellent productions at the Stephen Joseph including some of AA’s kids shows, for the in-house company and for Northern Broadsides. But aren’t there a lot of actors out there delivering quality work in the ‘provinces’ and largely unsung because it ain’t the West End?

    Reply
  2. Performance Monkey says

    May 4, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    Thanks for adding context to my admiration for Becky Hindley, Roger. Can’t deny that London theatre gets more than its fair share of coverage in Britain. And whole productions, never mind individual artists, aren’t discussed in the depth they deserve. But I do think supporting roles present space-strapped reviewers with a particular problem. As we get better at noting the creative contributions made by design, lighting and sound, we have ever less room to pick out interesting work beyond the leading roles.
    Theatres don’t help, either – and this is particularly true outside London, for some reason. They increasingly rarely announce casts on their websites, which I find frustrating and disrespectful. The Nuffield, Southampton’s site looks attractive – but it doesn’t credit any of the cast of Bernarda Alba – or indeed mention that the production is currently playing anywhere on its home page, which is a missed trick of pretty vast proportions.

    Reply

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David Jays

I am a writer and critic on performance, books and film and currently write for, among others, the Sunday Times and the Guardian. I edit Dance Gazette, the magazine of the Royal Academy of Dance. I’m also a lifelong Londoner: it’s the perfect city for connecting to art forms that both look back and spring forward. [Read More]

Performance Monkey

This is what theatre and dance audiences do: we sit in the dark, watching performances. And then, if it seems worth it, we think about what we've seen, and how it made us feel. The blog should be a conversation, so please comment on the posts and add your thoughts. You know what I've always … [Read More...]

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