The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Theatre Royal Bath ★★★★✩
» If you start comparing Deborah Moggach’s stage version of her novel These Foolish Things, with the film it inspired, you will probably be a little disappointed. It cannot match the visual delights and colour that the camera can create, but if you accept it on its own terms as a pure theatrical presentation it matches the film’s insight into the world of elderly people who may be deteriorating in their physical prowess, but are still mentally agile.
It would be easy for this story of a mixed bag of seven pensioners, who believe they are becoming more and more irrelevant and socially invisible in England, and seek a new start in a Bangalore Hotel, to become cliché ridden and full of stereotypes. Thanks, to the skills of the adapter, director and cast, those traps have been avoided.
When they arrive, the pensioners find the hotel run down and struggling to keep going, rather like themselves, with a distinctly uncertain future. Despite this, the group fall in love with the decaying grandeur of the hotel, its owners, staff and the town. The one exception is Eileen Battye’s discontented Jean, who always believes the grass is greener the other side of the fence, spending most of her time trying to prove her superiority, especially over her long-suffering husband Douglas, a lovely study of gentle loneliness from Paul Nicholas.
These are just two of a splendid gathering of veteran actors, that is meant as a compliment to players with proven skill and talent that has and continues to keep them at the top of their profession. Hayley Mills, almost defeated widow Evelyn, finds a new purpose in life as she helps Nishad More’s Sonny escape from the stifling love of his mother, Mrs Kapoor, played by Rekha John-Cheriyan, and into the arms of his true love Sahani, played by Shila Iqbal. Rula Lenska’s feisty Madge proves that less is best using the F word to great effect as she puts Tiran Aakel’s money grabbing Mr Gupta well and truly in his place. Marlene Sidaway’s Muriel, is physically frail, but a mentally alert excleaner and proud of it. Andy De La Tour, a fine gruff former accountant, Norman, shares his love of cricket with the hotel’s man of all jobs, Jimmy played by Harmage Singh Kalirai, and Richenda Carey, brings an ideal air of mystery to Dorothy, as she searches for her past in the Marigold Hotel.
Director Lucy Bailey makes excellent use of Colin Richmond’s costume and set designs which combined with composer Kuljit Bhamra’s music creates a good picture and atmosphere for the story to develop. Lucy, and her experienced cast, also manages to avoid the happy-ever-after ending
from slipping into over sentimentality.
Bath’s Theatre Royal is the thirteenth stop for the production on a 34-date tour, next stop a Transatlantic crossing on Cunard’s Queen Mary II. The cast and all those involved in this understated
production will have to have the stamina and determination of the characters in the play if they are to survive this punishing schedule.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel appears at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday. To book tickets, visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk