Fairfield Halls, Croydon
***
In 1993 John Godber was reportedly the third most performed
playwright after Alan Ayckbourn and William Shakespeare. But in 2013, where a
whole host of new British playwrights have made their mark in the twenty years
since then, does Losing the Plot (the
fourth play written for the John Godber Company) still make a mark?
This two-hander, also directed by Godber and already part way
through a nationwide tour, definitely has a feel of the now to it. Written
specifically for actors Steve Huison and Susan Cookson, the play sees the duo take
on the roles of husband and wife, Jack and Sally. Nearing fifty, with two
teenage daughters, the couple face the daily struggle of building work
nightmares, UCAS applications, open days, taxi duties for ageing parents and
generally not having enough hours in the day. This narrative is run in parallel
to a commentary on the state of Britain today, the Conservative government and
their cuts and in particular how this affects jobs and the arts. When the stresses
of them both become too much for art teacher (and wannabe artist) Jack, he
chooses to escape by walking out on his wife and children for three months ‘to
think’. The play then follows the couple’s attempts to rebuild their
relationship, amidst Sally’s efforts to publish a comedy novel based on her
husband and his escapades.
Huison and Cookson both give admirable performances as they move
around the stage (a kitchen designed extremely realistically by Pip Leckenby)
with great frustration and exasperation at life. Cookson successfully captures
the emotional journey of Sally with wit, exposed fragility and determination as
she moves from her busy role of mother, wife and flower shop owner to seemingly
abandoned single mother and sole breadwinner to finally, a woman trying to make
her own mark as an individual. Meanwhile, Huison mixes comedy with weariness
and grievance at the system to portray a character who clashes, moans and jokes
his way through the dismal state of Britain today. Together the two interact
well, and in this piece of realism, there is a very realistic sense of love
beneath all the troubles and squabbles they face.
Despite good performances, the play does have its holes. The first
act in particular drags, with no real action driving it forward. The second act
picks up considerably and we are, for the most part, engaged in the couples’ reconciliation
process, although in itself that does feel a little stunted at times. There are
also moments where the play becomes slightly too expositional and this becomes
most clear in the social commentary aspect. References to schools becoming
‘academies’, ‘Woollies’ (Woolworths) going under and how having building work
done is "cheaper than moving in this climate" all paint a picture of a very
current Britain, but the lines sometimes seem shoehorned in. We see something
similar with the argument about the integrity of the arts vs. popular culture
as Jack proclaims "I found myself through the arts" and we are warned against
the EBACC with "only the nobility will be able to access [the arts]". They are
valid arguments, yet with Jack embodying the side of integrity of art and Sally
embodying its commodification following the potential of her ‘lowbrow’ book,
the two of them come to blows and it all feels a little too loud and on the
surface.
They are issues that people feel strongly about, and issues that
are definitely relevant and attention-worthy. But whilst Godber succeeds in
showing the nuances within the couple’s relationship and daily struggles, there
is a distinct lack of subtext in the views portrayed. A loud opinion on the
arts may be no bad thing, but a slightly quieter inclusion would add that
something extra to an admittedly still enjoyable play.
This production is touring until 11 May 2013.
For more information: www.thestage.co.uk/listings/production.php/59362/losing-the-plot / www.johngodber.co.uk/johngodbercompany1.html
@FairfieldHalls
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