LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I WENT TO MANDERLEY YET AGAIN…
Daphne Du Maurier’s story is nearly a nationwide fable, what with the grand home on the towering cliffs, the terrifying housekeeper, and Maxim de Winter’s distaste for self-willed attractive ladies and his desire for being depressing than risking individuals speaking about his divorce. Not to say the stiff higher lip: when Nigel Havers was as a result of play the hero I requested him how on earth a contemporary chap was going to handle the clipped line “I’m asking you to marry me, you little fool”. He admitted they’d determined he’d shout it from offstage within the lodge toilet, to keep away from the giggles.
So sticking near the immortal novel takes nerve and a capability to suppress a few of your sense of humour. Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay , not being British, handle that sincerity very properly – they’re German-language composers of renown, and this present ran three seasons in Vienna from 2006, and doubtless , God assist us, elevated Austrian understanding of the Brexit mentality. Christopher Hampton writes the English lyrics, some clunky and a few slightly impressed, one of the best being Mrs Danvers’ loopy love music to her lifeless Rebecca – “Invincible, unsinkable!” . There is enjoyable in Mrs van Hopper, within the county-set badinage of the in-laws Giles and Beatrice (“The Old Country Ways”), and an sudden music-hall romp close to the tip from Alex James-Ward as Favell in a cheekychappie test go well with. Right in the midst of the Rebecca’s-corpse disaster, which could shock Daphne. Mind you, she did say in an interview that Rebecca was “a phase”.
But in each different manner the novel is deftly adopted, all probably the most well-known traces and incidents elegantly polished, all the way down to Colonel Julian the Justice of the Peace and poor mad Ben. Lauren Jones is small and sweetly dowdy because the second Mrs de Winter, sweet-voiced particularly within the quieter, higher numbers: Kunze and Levay give her a number of too many belting crescendos although , to the extent that my companion murmured “the curse of FROZEN!”. Kara Lane is a pillar of black grimness as Mrs Danvers, with some terrific over-the-top numbers (she undoubtedly obtained the largest curtain-call cheer). The rating is principally unmemorable however richly romantic, with an 18 piece orchestra with some grand storm music and dramatic movie-style chords.
But oh, the enjoyment of the ensemble! Call me Pollyanna, however I’m a sucker for exhibits through which the forged appear to be having a blast of a time. The temper is infectious, and one of many pleasures of this, the previous Players Theatre, is that few productions can resist the temptation of sending forged members dashing up and down the aisles and between the layers of stalls. The mob flip up initially because the Manderley workers , with a riotous quantity through which they despise the brand new Mrs de M as a lot as, within the novel, she fears they do. They have a spell as fisherfolk and lifeboatmen within the shipwreck storm, and once more flip up as excitable neighbours on the inquest. Their choruses raise the temper magically , each time we get a bit tired of the moody couple. And by the way in which, excellent stalls costs for a West End home. Decent seat for £ 25, what’s to not like? I loved it.
charingcrosstheatre.co.uk to 18 Nov
Rating 4.
