Girls and Boys

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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.

Matilda the Musical ***

Except for “Oliver” and “A Christmas Story,” I have not cared for musicals with lots of children in them. That plus high ticket prices kept me away from this hit from London for a year and a half. However, when orchestra seats for under $100 became available, I decided to give it a try. The production values are top of the line. Rob Howell’s set design is one of the cleverest I have seen in several years; his costumes are fine too. Peter Darling’s choreography is spirited and often ingenious. The direction by Matthew Warchus is seamless and assured. The producers have kept the show in fine shape despite multiple cast changes. The current cast is quite good. Christopher Sieber is a hoot as Miss Trunchbull, Alison Luff makes a sympathetic Miss Honey, and Matt Harrington and Lesli Margherita are delightfully over the top as Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood. Matilda was played at my performance by Eliza Holland Madore, a tiny powerhouse. The other children and the secondary adult roles are well cast too. The curtain call number was among the best I have seen. So why did I admire the show more than I liked it? Roald Dahl’s story didn’t really engage me, at least not as presented in Dennis Kelly’s book, and Tim MInchin’s music and lyrics seemed merely serviceable. I liked it better than I expected to, but found it a bit chilly at its heart. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.

Taking Care of Baby**

(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
British playwright Dennis Kelly's faux documentary is now at Manhattan Theatre Club's Studio at Stage II for its New York premiere. An initial advisory that all the dialogue has been lifted from actual transcripts is deliberately garbled a couple of times later, perhaps as a clue that it is all fiction. The play crosscuts between Donna (Kristen Bush), a mother who has been jailed for murder after the death of her two young children; her mother Lynn (Margaret Colin), a politician whose positions change as often as the wind direction; the controversial Dr. Millard (Reed Birney), who has posited a disease that causes oversensitive women to murder their children; and Martin (Francois Battiste), Donna's traumatized former husband. Peripheral characters include Mrs. Millard (Amelia Campbell), Lynn's campaign manager Jim (Ethan Phillips) and an odious, sexually addicted reporter (Michael Crane.) Talking head interviews alternate with reenactments. The acting is top-notch, especially by Bush, Colin and Birney. I wish that the rapid alteration of fragmentary scenes did not diminish the momentum so that none of the individual stories was adequately developed. Despite the fine acting, the play's concept was more interesting than the execution. Erica Schmidt's direction seemed unfocused and uninvolving. Running time: two hours, fifteen minutes including intermission.