In 1988-89, the play won Laurence Olivier Awards for Best New Comedy and Best Actress, followed by two Tony Awards, one for Best Performance by a Leading Actress and another for Best Play. It went on to win the Outstanding Broadway Debut award.

This delightful comedy is now being presented by the Kalamunda Dramatic Society Theatre (KADS) at their theatre in the Town Square, Barber Street, Kalamunda.

The curtain goes up at 8.00 pm for 130 minutes of fun and tears each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until the 30th July.

Jodi Cant’s set is simple but effective. The scene is the kitchen of a working class home in Liverpool during the 1980s. A table and four chairs represent Shirley’s kitchen. The walls are flats painted pale lemon with a few black drapes. The Greek setting is a contoured lounger, with sky blue flats (built by Alistair Woodcock and Karen Woodcock-Hall). Steve Marr and Les Marshall operated Don Allen’s simple but effective lighting.

The simplicity focused the audience’s attention on the script and dazzling acting.

         We join 42-year-old Shirley Bradshaw – nee Valentine (Jenny Howard-McCann) – in her kitchen, peeling potatoes; yet another evening meal for her unappreciative husband. Over the years, Shirley has found that the kitchen wall is a far better friend, and more responsive, than her brain dead, boring husband.

      One day, Shirley’s best friend wins a ticket for two to Greece and suggests that they go to the Greek Isles together. Being a dutiful and conscientious wife, Shirley has grave doubts at first, and then after much discussion with ‘wall’, she realises how her lifestyle has changed with marriage, and so decides to go and rediscover her lost youth and vibrancy.

      How will her friends and family accept this unacceptable behaviour?

 

Amanda Muggleton, who, in true Amanda style, performed almost the whole of the second act completely in the nude, brought this one-woman show to Australia in the 80s. This production is still sexy, but without flesh.

The play takes the form of a 110-minute monologue, a huge task at the best of times. When you add the need for a quality Liverpool accent, the unique Scouse mannerisms and their dry innate sense of humour, the task becomes mammoth. Further, add the ability to engage the audience, as though you are gossiping in private to your best friend, whilst having the comedic ability to delivery hilarious stories that may actually incorporate tragic undertones. These demands on any actor are massive, even for a major award-winning actor like Jenny; but she shone in all departments, with a truly stunning performance. There were numerous belly laughs and a few tears. Jenny’s performance was crammed with energy, and even after a couple of hours, the pace kept bounding along.

Fabulous teamwork from the skilled director and her highly talented performer.

I can imagine a sell-out, so get your tickets quickly.

After a very successful tour in 2007, HIT Productions and Christine Harris have brought this brand new production, under the directorship of AFI Award winning Denny Lawrence, back to Kwinana. It was presented for one show only, at 8.00 pm on Thursday 19^th May in Theatre 1 of the Koorliny Arts Centre, 6 Sulphur Road, Kwinana.

The set comprised two walls of bookshelves, a desk, side table and several chairs. Then of course there is the 1610 painting of ‘Samson and Delilah’ by Rubens.

     The music ‘Ferry across the Mersey’ faded as the lights came up to show us an unkempt lecturer, Frank (Colin Moody) dressed in beige corduroy trousers. As he peered over his spectacles, supported by a cord around his neck, and explains how mixed-up his life is, and how now – for extra drinking money – he works at the new Open University (set up in the UK to give everyone a chance to attain a degree whilst living at home and working fulltime).

     Frank’s office door rattles, before almost being broken down by a young hairdresser, Rita (Francesca Bianchi), naïve but will ‘take no crap’. She is full of enthusiasm to learn and so wastes no time in telling Frank that he has to dry out and get his act together. Frank takes an instant dislike to Rita and her attitude and is not keen to have her as a student. Will his feelings change?

The two actors are instantly recognisable; Francesca Bianchi is partnering Sydney’s, Helpmann Award winning actor, Colin Moody – both of whom have numerous major TV roles and prestigious stage appearances to their name.

I have seen many versions of this play, including the film and this one won hands down. The grasp of the characters was amazing; they both had more depth than the Grand Canyon. It was a full house, and the audience were ‘educated’. Every pedantic comment that this Professor of English made was absorbed and appreciated.

Francesca is diminutive in stature, looking very much like Twiggy in the era of the play, but she was huge in delivery. She had a perfect Scouse accent, the look of innocence whilst still being streetwise. Rita’s many costumes were straight from Carnaby Street.

Colin took Frank from being a dry confused lecturer, to a thoroughly inebriated, repulsive being with no self-confidence. His eyes and expressions were masterful. It was wonderful to watch the cold antagonism of the couple, slowly change to affection and in Frank’s case repressed lust.

This is a play and performance that could fill theatres night after night. Not often I give a standing ovation, but here was performance that certainly deserved it.

This quality production is an admirable community partnership between Laughing Horse productions and the Koorliny Arts Centre. It can be seen at the Kwinana Theatre Workshop Theatre, Sulphur Road, Kwinana Town Centre. Only a couple of kilometres along Thomas Road from the freeway.

The seating is comfortable but there used to be daises to give tiered seating, or could the seats possibly be put in semicircles with the table as the centre of the circle? This would improve the sightlines.

Performances are at 8.00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights until 13^th September. There are two matinees, one on Sunday 7^th and another on Saturday 13^th, both at 2.00 pm.

The scene is a working class home in Liverpool in the 1980s. The eye-catching setting is a fully equipped kitchen and dinette. The last Act is of a Greek beach scene. Production manager Jon Lambert, stage manager Cally Zanik and the small LHP team have given us a two convincing sets. They have also added a little stage magic by convincingly ‘cooking’ the food on a cooker with no gas or power, and it looked ready to eat – good one.

         We join 42-years old Shirley Valentine in her kitchen, preparing yet another evening meal for her unappreciative husband. Over the years Shirley has found that the kitchen wall is a far better friend, and more responsive, than her brain dead, boring husband. Then one day, Shirley’s best friend wins a ticket for two to Greece and suggests that they go to the Greek Isles together. Being a dutiful and conscientious wife, Shirley has grave doubts at first, and then after much discussion with ‘wall’, she realises how her lifestyle has changed with marriage and decides to go and try to discover her lost youth and vibrancy.

Normally I only mention the programme when all else is so bad that I have to try to say something good about the play, but Danni Close (with the help of Dark Studio Photography), has produced an extremely professional and imaginative programme.

The stage lighting and sound were very good (Alex Coutts-Smith) with a cleverly devised view from the kitchen window.

A few years ago, Adam Salathiel very successfully directed Diana in another Willy Russell play ‘Educating Rita’. Adam has directed this show and again proved his immense ability to understand the meaning behind every line of the rich script.

The star of this show, Diana Oliver, was only a month ago acclaimed for her bold and moving performance in ‘Steaming’, and here she is with a massive monologue, once again holding the audience in the palm of her hand. As a student, I lived with a lad from the Wirral in Merseyside and I really must compliment Diana, she has a genuine and never faltering, Liverpool accent. She credibly shows all the frustrations and confusions of a housewife caught in a boring and lonely relationship, your heart will go out to poor Shirley.

I have seen several versions of this play, and of course the Pauline Collin’s film, but this performance easy wins my praise as being the best version. The Liverpudlians have their own mannerisms and dry innate sense of humour, this magnificent performance captured every characteristic perfectly. Simply remembering the script is a massive task, but to capture the emotions, expressions and character, Diana WAS Shirley. A magnificent performance.