Billy Liar show review. Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, Dicken Ashworth, Helen Fraser

BILLY LIAR , DEVONSHIRE PARK THEATRE, EASTBOURNE

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

CAST

(in appearance order)

Florence Boothroyd - Sally Saunders
Alice Fisher - Helen Fraser
Geoffrey Fisher - Dicken Ashworth
Billy Fisher - Nathan Hannon
Arthur Crabtree Adam Henderson Scott
Barbara - Lauren Drummond
Rita - Victoria Hawkins
Liz - Holly Quin-Ankrah

Back in 1963 Billy Liar was a popular movie of its time with Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie starring.

For those who don't know the story it essentially revolves around serial liar, womaniser and lazy so-and-so, Billy Fisher. We watch as his family despairs at his ever growing list of lies about his love life, his work, in fact just about every word he utters to anybody is a complete fabrication. Actress Helen Fraser and former Emmerdale star Dicken Ashworth play Billy's parents.

There aren't many plays which, these days, are divided into 3 acts with 2 intervals. Likewise there are few plays which last 2 and a half hours, including those breaks.

But in this case its definitely one act too many. There are few shows where I've felt the urge to check my watch in the final act but in this case I think I ended up doing it three times! The whole thing just seemed to drag on and on and on. I know my wife and myself weren't alone in feeling this either as we've since got exactly the same reaction from others who saw this show without even telling them our verdict.

Billy Liar is, as you would probably expect from the subject matter, a comedy. But whilst there are indeed many funny moments it wasn't enough to hold my attention throughout.

Others were clearly in agreement as the audience numbers reduced after the first interval and again after the second interval.

However, as I said, there are some funny moments in this drawn-out affair and star of the show has to be Lauren Drummond who plays Billy's most suffering girlfriend. As serial-orange-muncher Barbara not only does she have to deliver what is probably the funniest role of all but the poor girl has to devour 6 oranges (not Satsumas) each and every evening of this shows long tour. She did say that fortunately she likes oranges (probably a key factor in getting this role) but when you occasionally get a really sour one it is somewhat hard to deliver the lines without wincing.

There's nothing actually wrong with any of the acting in this play. It's the play itself which is the problem to me. Billy Liar just doesn't stand up against some of the more modern comedies and I think as the years go on audiences for this will dwindle further. Perhaps if it had been condensed into 2 acts I may have felt differently but this was one play that I was relieved when the curtain call finally came as I was getting rather bored.

To see Billy Liar again it would take a cast I desperately wanted to meet to get me sitting through the 3 acts and I'll remember to have some caffeine intake in the intervals.

In the meantime I reckon Billy Liar would work on stage in the 2000's but it needs a modernization and a total rewrite to make it funny in the 21st century. Now there's a scriptwriter's challenge.

Our House, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, Play Review

Cast

Dicken Ashworth - Ted
Matthew Booth - Jack
Annmarie Hosell - Sonja / Candice
Lewis Linford - Steve Les
Jacqueline Naylor - May
Fiona Wass - Sylvia/ Sharon

Firstly please do not confuse this with the brilliant "Our House", Madness music themed musical, touring Britain in 2008.

This is the stage play written and directed by John Godber.

I'll quote the plot straight from the programme.

"Join May - widow, mother and grandmother - as she packs up her northern council house and heads off for a life in the sun. She's trading her neighbourhood nightmare for the Costa del Calm... but moving out is hard work and moving on can be even harder.

May is forced to look forward without her husband Ted, but as the van is loaded and the furniture and ornaments are boxed and sealed piece by piece, she remembers the hardship, laughter, sorrow and joy of the past 45 years one last time!

The action takes place in West Yorkshire between 1958 and 2001."

Action.......mmmmm. Don't think I spotted that!

Whilst I realise not everybody likes the same type of show I have to say I found this the most boring play I have ever had to endure.

As May reflected on previous good times with Ted all that will stick in my mind is the irritating "Ayes" which seemed to litter so many sentences of script. "Aye" to this "Aye" to that and "Aye" to everything else.

I found it so boring I even failed to actually follow the plot.

Turning to the wife in the interval to hear her say how awfully boring she thought it was came as a complete relief. It gave us the excuse to do the one thing we failed to do in any other show in 2008 - leave in the interval.

So if the second half was excellent I will never know but we were not prepared to suffer more of the same boredom after the break.

I don't really think we were alone in feeling this play wasn't very entertaining by the fact you usually hear other audience members raving in the interval. It didn't happen.

The play is based around the personal life of the author and in particular his parents (who are sadly now deceased). I am also aware that this was the second outing for Our House following its initial staging in Hull in 2001. I understand, at that time, the critics reviews were favourable.

This time Our House was being staged around the country at 20 different venues.

Being a "southerner" I have no idea if this play will appeal more to "northerners" at more nortern theatres. Only time and reviews will tell.

It didn't work for me.


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