Black comedy night

Last night we went with Jonny and Mandy to see Terence Rattigan's Separate Tables. This was the second of our four season ticket performances and got a good thumbs up from us all. The two one act plays were linked thematically as well as with the majority of characters appearing in both acts.

Most impressively, the lead couple from the first act played completely different characters in the second act. Nigel Cooke, played a disappointed and dissolute ex-labour polititian in the first act and a closet homosexual disguising his insecurities by pretending to be an army major and general "good old boy" in the second. Clare Holman played the polititian's beautiful ex-wife hunting him down in the hope of a reunion as her looks faded and a lonely future stretched ahead. Then, in the second act she was completely unrecognisable as the introverted and emotionally insecure, repressed daughter of a domineering upper class mother. It was particularly impressive how she used mannerism, her stance and her demeanour to convey a completely different personality. The shoes also helped!

On a side note, this was once upon a time a film starring the likes of Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster and David Niven.

I'd like to see that now, but I don't know I'd enjoy it as much as the Royal Exchange production.


Thanks to Auntie Mel and the very popular Uncle John for doing the babysitting honours.