LADIES IN LAVENDER (Daniel Schumann and Lee Dean with Charles Diamond and Royal & Derngate Productions)
An all-new stage production of the charming film, Ladies in
Lavender, is enchanting audiences at Malvern Festival Theatre this week.
Sisters, Ursula and Janet, find the regularity of their Cornish idyll is
interrupted when a mysterious, young foreigner is washed up on the beach one
morning in 1937. This serendipitous event reignites dying embers of love for
more than one of the village’s residents, changing their lives forever.
The legendary Hayley Mills and Belinda Lang are brilliant in
their respective roles of the sisters, Ursula and Janet. They give equally
exquisite and believable performances that make it impossible not to fall for
their delightful characters. Robert Rees is perfect as Andrea, the Polish
stranger, demonstrating excellent vocal dexterity with the accent and foreign
language. Robert Duncan gives a wonderfully awkward performance as Dr Mead,
whose puppy-dog love advances are deftly parried by the artist, Olga, stoically
played by Abigail Thaw. Carol Macready positively revels in the superb role
afforded her as the housekeeper, Dorcas. Ever present and quick to comment, she
has the audience in the palm of her hand throughout.
Superbly directed by Robin Lefevre using a stunning set,
cleverly designed by Liz Ascroft, the audience are transported to from the
craggy coast to the quaint cottage in the blink of an eye with the help of Mick
Hughes’ beautifully lighting, as John Leonard’s sound design evokes the peace
and tranquillity of Cornwall. This is a gentle, endearing story of unrequited
and lost love that provides the perfect escape for an early summer’s evening
this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment