If I Were You Devonshire Park Theatre Eastbourne

If I Were You

Devonshire Park Theatre

Eastbourne

21st-26th June 2010

(Performance seen 21st)

Cast

Jill Rodale - Liza Goddard

Mal Rodale - Jack Ellis

Chrissie Snaith - Lauren Drummond

Dean Snaith - Ayden Callaghan

Sam Rodale - David Osmond

Only 8 months after appearing in the Grass Is Greener at the same venue Jack Ellis and Liza Goddard return to the Devonshire Park in the comedy If I Were You.

Liza's stage and screen career is a long and varied one having been given a huge kick-start in her childhood by playing Clarissa 'Clancy' Merrick in the long running TV series Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. A popular childrens' series, produced in Australia, about a boy and his intelligent 'talking' kangaroo the programme lasted an incredible 91 episodes. Whilst I would love to claim I'm not old enough to remember the series I'm afraid I can't and like most kids of that era I probably saw most of those episodes, and enjoyed them.

Jack Ellis, on the other hand and according to Wikipedia, entered acting and show business later in life. The first production is reported as a 1985 movie (again an Australian production) Unfinished Business.

Young Lauren Drummond's last appearance at the Devonshire Park was in Billy Liar (fine acting by all, with Lauren's orange-munching role the best, but not one of my favourite productions).

For Ayden Callaghan and David Osmond I believe this was their first visit to the DPT. However David has been in Eastbourne before having appeared in The History Boys at the Congress Theatre. Incidentally Ayden couldn't make the Friends Of The Devonshire Park Theatre's reception, hence he is not pictured.

The Devonshire Park marks the final touring venue of If I Were You in 2010.

Essentially this comedy is a role switching comedy with husband and wife switching roles. For those that are familiar with the movie it bears similarities to Freaky Friday (Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis) although that was a same sex swap.

However, whilst this is an Alan Ayckbourn comedy, it is no Bedroom Farce. It's a comedy with a quite serious underlying story and even at the end you are left wondering if the ending was ultimately happy or not.

In a nutshell, Mal Rodale is a middle aged self-centred, ignorant pig. Ignorant not just in that he is having a long running affair but also that he truly believes his long suffering wife, Jill, knows nothing about it.

Foul mouthed and bit of a slob he works alongside his equally bullish son-in-law Dean Snaith in a furniture showroom. During the day they criticize their 'other halves' and treat their employees like dirt, with Mal popping out for a 'quickie' with his bit-on-the-side Trixie now and then.

Meanwhile Jill and their daughter Chrissie are at home finding it difficult to discuss with each other that they both have men problems.

Stuck in the middle somewhat is their teenage son, Sam, an aspiring actor who can't even follow his love of Shakespeare without his father interfering because it's not what hard men do.

The first half of this production is very much background building. I know that other reviews have remarked that this part it is somewhat slow and not particularly funny but that the second half is worth waiting for.

I have to admit this is fair comment and as the interval arrived like others in the audience we were left wondering whether some of the four letter swear words used in that half were really justified?

Whilst If I Were You finishes its current tour in Eastbourne this week do not let this put you off seeing this production sometime in the future.

The second half is not only very well acted and absolutely hilarious, with Goddard and Ellis adopting their spouse's traits perfectly, but everything you saw in part 1 makes perfect sense in part 2.

You really need to appreciate Liza Goddard's transformation into her vile other half and equally to see Jack Ellis bring out his feminine side.

'Mal' tries to fight off the desire to flounce around dusting and washing up whilst thoroughly confusing his son-in-law as he shows a new love for 'woosy' things like flowers, cleanliness, love and good employee relations.

'Jill' stays at home swearing blue murder and learning that doing simple things ,like vacuuming, aren't as easy as they look. Now with time to spend with his children, Mal entrapped in Jill's body, learns more than a few home truths about how obnoxious he has actually become.

How does the story end? Well I'd thoroughly recommend seeing this in the future to find out. Just go in the knowledge that this is a comedy but with a serious story rather than an all out farce and you won't come away disappointed.

For those who, like us, have appreciated Liza Goddards varied career I have found a few recent interviews and nostalgic highlights below. Just scroll using the side arrows to change clips.

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.