As one-character quotes, nostalgia is not what it used to be, and author, Laura Wade uses this idea to explore feminist themes about the role of women as long-suffering wives and how women’s choices have changed over the last seventy years. We meet Judy played with a delightful playful charm by Jessica Ransom in her ideal Fifties home, dressed stylishly in period costume and lovingly waiting on her husband, Johnny, played by Neil McDermott, the family breadwinner who is “appallingly happy”. The setting, music and styling paint a picture of perfect marriage enjoying a Fifties lifestyle but (spoiler alert) when Judy pulls out her Apple laptop from a drawer, we realise that all is not as it seems.
Through a short neatly staged flashback scene we discover she adopted this lifestyle three years ago when she was offered redundancy from her successful job and that she is a smart fifties obsessed 38-year-old struggling to reconcile and understand the reaction of those around her to her own life choices and gradually the play explores the reality of the situation and the relationships with her husband, mother, work colleagues and friends. The writing is sharp and witty, the staging slick and well-choreographed and the characters well-developed and believable. The interplay between Judy and Johnny is beautifully handled drawing us into their chosen world and then blowing it apart as the other relationships test their commitment to both the lifestyle and each other and setting us to wonder whether their marriage can survive the tests. The challenge hits home when one character asks Judy “ what do you do all day?”.
Diane Keen brings all her experience to the stage as Judy’s mother Sylvia makes a powerful and moving speech which challenges not only her daughter's choices but also historical perceptions and attitudes and her own daughter’s memories of her childhood. The Fifties she recalls was a time of food rationing, broken men returning from the War and a lack of female equality and rights. Why would anyone want to live their life as it was then compared to the opportunities today?Fran (Cassie Bradley) and Marcus (Matthew Douglas) are friends who appear to share the couple's love of the era and have previously joined them at the annual immersive Jivestock event but are they as committed to the period and each other as they seem? When we learn Marcus has been accused of sexual predatory behaviour at work, is he suffering from a false fantasist allegation or has his behaviour crossed the line from caring boss to more unacceptable sexual harassment? Shanez Pattni plays Johnny’s new boss, Alex at the Estate Agency and will decide whether he will get a promotion to Assistant Manager. She struts the stage with confidence as her visits give her insight into the couple’s relationship.
This is a production that started at Theatr Clwyd in 2018, then to the cosseted world of Arts Council-funded National Portfolio company, the National Theatre before transferring to the West End with commercial producers and now on tour with Bill Kenwright and Theatr Clywd as producers. The marvellous two-storey set which greets the audience as we take our seats really sets the scene with its bold patterned wallpaper and G-plan furniture and is used with great skill by Director Tamara Harvey with cleverly choreographed scene changes that add to our understanding of the characters. Occasionally we have to concentrate hard to catch every word as using general rather than personal mics seems to give an unbalanced sound in the high-roofed New Victoria Theatre.This is a cleverly crafted play that challenges the audience by the interplays between the characters to think of the issues of #metoo campaign in a work setting, in personal relationships and on the choices women have today without lecturing and is so much more effective as a result. You are drawn in to care about the characters, reflect on their situation and leave entertained and provoked to reflect on your own life choices and relationships. It is well worth seeing on its tour which continues to May at Canterbury.
Review by Nick Wayne
Rating: ★★★★
Seat: Stalls, Row F | Price of Ticket: £39
