Perfect setting for this tale
REVIEW
What: The Last Five Years Who: Courteney Mayall. Nick Wilkinson
Where: American Modernist Garden, Hamilton Gardens
When: Thursday night
Director: Jason Wade
Musical director: Nick Braae Reviewed by Mike Mather
The American Modernist Garden must be the most warmly inviting of all the environments at the Hamilton Gardens.
It’s not just the wading pool and the relaxed Californian decor that gives that effect. Every time you walk in, there’s Marilyn. And she always seems so pleased to see you!
You will be pleased too, if you go there on Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening. You’ll have to time your visit carefully, however, so that it coincides with the second, third and fourth shows in the short season of this wonderful and poignant musical production.
The Modernist Garden is the perfect setting for this modern, American tale of Cathy (Mayall) and Jamie (Wilkinson). The former is an actress, battling for roles; the latter a writer on the verge of a successful career. They meet and, as you do, fall wildly in love. Will this connection of souls last forever?
From the outset it is clear that it didn’t. The first number, Still Hurting, is sung by Mayall – here bereft, adrift, ruminating on the ruination of their relationship.
Second song in is Shiska Goddess, sung by Wilkinson – an ebullient evocation of love at first sight. We have had an abrupt shift back to an earlier, much happier time. What’s going on? The narrative here is a non-linear cross section of their ultimately ill-fated union.
‘‘But what on earth does that mean?’’ you cry. This is an examination of the relationship in segments. Perhaps a vivisection. The sequences focusing on Cathy are taking place in reverse chronological order, while Jamie’s are moving forward in time. It’s painful, revealing, innovative and, in a way, utterly beautiful.
‘‘Utterly beautiful’’ is also an apt description of the onstage talent, with Mayall and Wilkinson perfectly matched, in great voice, and not exactly short of chemistry. This is no more evident for their one duet The Next Ten Minutes – the point at which their stories intersect. It’s rather spellbinding.
All this is accompanied by a powerful sextet of piano, acoustic and bass guitar, violin and two cellos, led by the very accomplished Nick Braae.
This is as slick and as tight a production as any you will find on Broadway. An imperfect marriage portrayed by way of a perfect marriage of talent and environment. Make sure you give this union your blessing.
There’s something really affirming about watching Hamiltonians rallying in support of one of their own.
And boy, did they ever rally behind Sarah Nathan on the first of four festival performances of this witty, engrossing play, providing her with both a full house and a standing ovation. You can’t ask for much more than that.
Well, you can ask and, if you are lucky, you can get more. With this festival frequently interfered with by bouts of painful precipitation, the clouds that had drenched Hamilton with rain earlier took their leave in the nick of time.
But both the audience accolades and the good fortune with the weather were well deserved. Nathan totally owned this.
Even in the realm of one-person plays, the three-act Shirley Valentine poses a real challenge for whoever takes the spotlight. It was a challenge the plucky Nathan – best known for her day job as the head honcho down at Creative Waikato – rose to, and seized.
For sure, Shirley Valentine is a role that every actress would want to have a go at. Written by Liverpudlian playwright Willy Russell (also responsible for stage and screen hits such as Educating Rita and Blood Brothers), the script is filled with wry humour, patches of pathos and some pseudo-sociological observations. And there’s some wonderful character development and emoting.
Thought-provoking, you ask? Thoughts were indeed provoked, mainly of the life domestic servitude that was the fate of the titular Ms Valentine, and still is for so many other women.
Sure, things have changed since this tale was written back in the late 80s, but there is a lot that hasn’t . . . yet. The Medici Court was an apt location for staging this play, particularly when it came to the Mediterranean-based third act. It also helped that the ongoing tropical temperatures are evoking much more temperate climes.
A chorus of crickets heralded the start of the show. About halfway through, as a misty drizzle briefly passed over, the gentle rustle of dozens of raincoats being donned by the moisture-adverse could be heard.
But it was hard to be distracted from the woman on stage.
The whole crowd watched, enraptured as Nathan became the oppressed, frustrated but increasingly defiant Shirley.
It was a transformation that was as entertaining as it was uplifting. You would be fools to miss it.
Shirley, you can’t be serious? Surely, I am.
REVIEW
What: Shirley Valentine
Who: Sarah Nathan, performer, Nick Wilkinson, director
Where: Medici Court, Hamilton Gardens
When: Wednesday night
Reviewed by Mike Mather