A-
A friend recently said that she would gladly pay for the chance to hear Carey Mulligan (Skylight, The Seagull) read from the phone book. On the basis of her riveting performance in this exhilarating but harrowing solo piece by Dennis Kelly (Matilda the Musical) now at the Minetta Lane Theatre, I can understand why she is regarded as one of the finest actors of her generation. She commands the stage dressed in an orange shirt and umber slacks (by Jack Galloway), barefoot, with her short hair tied back. Over the course of an hour and 45 minutes, she does not strike a false note as she tells a tale that slides down a slippery path from amusing anecdote to tragedy. Monologues on a bare stage alternate with scenes in her monochromatic pale blue kitchen (set by Es Devlin; Machinal) during which she mimes interactions with her unseen children Leanne and Danny. In the monologues, she portrays a vibrant, bold career-minded woman who, through sheer force of will, becomes a successful documentary producer. In the kitchen scenes, she exists only in relation to her children. When her husband’s business fails, she is preoccupied with her own concerns. We know that things will turn out badly but we are on edge waiting to find out what will happen and why. For the entire play the audience was rapt in silent attention. The level of the writing is high except for a brief turn to the didactic near the end. Director Lyndsey Turner’s (Machinal) direction is assured. I am curious how the play picked up 15 minutes between London and New York. I doubt that it was by slowing down the speech because I still found it frustratingly rapid, especially considering the thick British accent. Whatever the reason, the extra 15 minutes are not a plus; a judicious trim would have improved the play. Be forewarned that the outcome is devastating. With that caution, I urge you to take advantage of this brief opportunity to see an amazing actor. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission.
A friend recently said that she would gladly pay for the chance to hear Carey Mulligan (Skylight, The Seagull) read from the phone book. On the basis of her riveting performance in this exhilarating but harrowing solo piece by Dennis Kelly (Matilda the Musical) now at the Minetta Lane Theatre, I can understand why she is regarded as one of the finest actors of her generation. She commands the stage dressed in an orange shirt and umber slacks (by Jack Galloway), barefoot, with her short hair tied back. Over the course of an hour and 45 minutes, she does not strike a false note as she tells a tale that slides down a slippery path from amusing anecdote to tragedy. Monologues on a bare stage alternate with scenes in her monochromatic pale blue kitchen (set by Es Devlin; Machinal) during which she mimes interactions with her unseen children Leanne and Danny. In the monologues, she portrays a vibrant, bold career-minded woman who, through sheer force of will, becomes a successful documentary producer. In the kitchen scenes, she exists only in relation to her children. When her husband’s business fails, she is preoccupied with her own concerns. We know that things will turn out badly but we are on edge waiting to find out what will happen and why. For the entire play the audience was rapt in silent attention. The level of the writing is high except for a brief turn to the didactic near the end. Director Lyndsey Turner’s (Machinal) direction is assured. I am curious how the play picked up 15 minutes between London and New York. I doubt that it was by slowing down the speech because I still found it frustratingly rapid, especially considering the thick British accent. Whatever the reason, the extra 15 minutes are not a plus; a judicious trim would have improved the play. Be forewarned that the outcome is devastating. With that caution, I urge you to take advantage of this brief opportunity to see an amazing actor. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission.
NOTE: You may be interested to know that Audible, the recorded book company, has set up a theatrical division to produce plays at the Minetta Lane Theatre, with one or two characters, that will be recorded for sale on Audible. Harry Clarke was their first production. This is the second.
No comments:
Post a Comment