Right. Let's try this again.
From Friday till Sunday lunchtime we were in London. Ostensibly this was to see the Neil Diamond gig on Saturday night, but we always tend to catch a few West End shows when we find ourselves in the smoke, and that is what we did.
On Friday evening we went to see "The Deep Blue Sea" at the Vaudeville Theatre, starring Greta Scacchi and Simon Williams.
"The Deep Blue Sea" was written by Terence Rattigan and first produced in 1952. It is about Hester Collyer, a nice upper-middle class lady who leaves her husband for a much younger man, only to be nearly destroyed by her passion.
Going to see "The Deep Blue Sea" was Jennifer's choice through and through. At first glance the play was certainly nothing I would have chosen to see by myself. Difficult to say why exactly, because I try to take pride in the fact that I will go to see anything and everything and reserve an opinion until after the show/play/gig/movie. But I suppose we can all be stick-in-the-muds when we want to be. Sometimes just not fancying seeing something is enough.
As in so many things Jennifer makes me see, I enjoyed "The Deep Blue Sea" a damn sight more than I thought I would. It is certainly old, a little creeky and early on flirts perilously close to 'posh' self parody, perhaps to be expected in a play written and produced at a time when serious theatre was the prerogative of the 'posh people'. It is good to say that the uniformly very fine performances by the actors it lift to a different level.
Before seeing her in "The Deep Blue Sea", I never rated Greta Scacchi as much of an actress. She was just an Eighties movie star, like Amanda Donohue around the same time, who was best known for getting her kit off in the movies. There are a few interesting titbits in her Wikipedia entry. Did you know that she turned down the Sharon Stone part in "Basic Instinct", or that a magazine once identified her as the Australian actress who had appeared naked on film more than any other Australian actress? Oh, you did? Oh.
In "The Deep Blue Sea" Greta Scacchi is really very good indeed. Spiralling gracefully, and not so gracefully, from downbeat to despair to hysteria to buttoned up politeness and then acceptance. I thought it was a great performance, with not a nipple in sight. Then again, the whole cast were good, especially Simon Williams as the husband, Dugald Bruce Lockhart as the lover and Tim McMullan as the mysterious neighbour, Mr. Miller. In fact Tim McMullan, one of those actors who you will recognise instantly and have no idea of anything he has appeared in, is the closet thing to a comic relief that the play has. Very droll and very funny.
Excellent production. Good choice Jennifer, but my choice was better. (Of course, he adds modestly.)
On Saturday afternoon we went to see "Fat Pig" at the Trafalgar Studios, starring Ella Smith, Joanna Page, Kris Marshall and Robert Webb.
"Fat Pig" is about Tom and what happens when, one day, Tom meets and falls in love with Helen. Helen is a nice girl. Smart, funny and self effacing. But, whereas Tom is thin, Helen is fat. Tom's friends and work colleagues are also thin. What will they think of Helen? If he is happy with Helen, should Tom care what they think?
No, of course he shouldn't, but this is the world of Neil Labute, and in that world there are almost no happy endings.
With the major exception of his reworking of "The Wicker Man" (which is dreadful, appalling and A Major Piece Of Shit), I have loved every movie I have seen that Neil Labute has put his name to. "In The Company Of Men", "Your Friends And Neighbours", "Possession" and "The Shape Of Things". His work is funny, bitter, cruel and sly, skirting misogynism and offensiveness, and holding up a big, wide mirror to modern society and it's obsessions.
I think Neil Labute is a genius. I think he is just great. Maybe we should get a room?
I really enjoyed "Fat Pig", although maybe 'enjoy' is not the right word. A sharp script. Really funny and sometimes outrageous (some of the dialogue spouted by Kris Marshall's crass, true horses ass, caused sharp intakes of breath from the audience on more than one occasion), but cutting, wounding and heartbreaking, especially in the final moments. Supremely brilliant cast. All of them were great, but Robert Webb, of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb and "Peep Show" fame, gave a simply astounding performance. I didn't expect him to be so good. A total surprise.
Highly recommended. If you have any interest in theatre you really should go to see it. It is on until September.
"Fat Pig" has stayed in my mind for days. There are reasons. Jennifer has had 'fat' issues for years. She has used the word 'disgusting' to describe herself, and the word 'pig' and the word 'vile'. Some of you have met her. Do you think she is 'disgusting' or a 'pig' or 'vile'? No, of course not. (And if you do, well fuck you and the horse you rode in on.)
Jennifer still has issues and those issues are constant. I think that one of the major elements of the reason why we no longer share a bed, or any kind sexual intimacy, is that Jennifer no longer feels attractive. There is very little I can do to break that mindset. I want to talk about it. She doesn't. I want her to feel better and, yes, I want to be back in her bed. I love her.
I kind of got off the subject of what we did London a little bit, didn't I? Couldn't be helped.
I will write about the Magical Mystery Tour, Neil Diamond and Goldfrapp tomorrow evening.
1 comment:
You know, it's funny how our minds play tricks on us in regards to weight and attractiveness. I, for example, am well aware that I am a bit heavier than I was in college. Meanwhile, although I do realize that the guy I went out with last night is quite a bit less fit than he was when we were in college, I still see him as the guy I was with in college...
It's too bad we can't see the best of ourselves, like we can see the best in others.
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