Kate Raison plays Evi Meara, a cabaret singer who has just returned from a ten week stint in rehab for being an alcoholic. Her two best friends Toby (Danielle Carter) and Jimmy (Tamblyn Lord) try to keep her sober but both have their own issues to worry about. Toby in particular brings much of the humour to the play with her obsession about her appearance; but as you find out later she is extremely unhappy and her marriage is about to fail. Jimmy is an out of work gay actor, he clearly loves Evi and cares for her, but has no idea how to help her. The scenes at the start of the play with the delivery boy are very amusing and certainly the highlight of the first act. Polly (Kellie Clarke), arrives unexpectantly to live with Evi. She is seventeen and has never lived with her mother. Evi split from her husband many years earlier. She is naive and innocent and tries to take on the motherly role, particularly at the end of the play. Of course it is not long before Evi slips back into old habits, Polly however sticks by her. She is strong and refuses to admit defeat.
The play was written in the 70's but is just as relevant today as it was then. This is the third time the Ensemble Theatre has put on this production (1973, 1987, 2012). It still highlights the destructive force that alcohol can have and the effect an alcoholic can have on others around them.
Overall, it was a great production. The set and costumes were as the 70's, though this I did find confusing. I assumed wrongly that it was present day so the set did trouble me that it wasn't in keeping with a well-to-do singer. It is only now when I look back that it falls into place.
This production is 2 and 3/4 hours long and in my opinion it was far too long, the first act dragged to the interval and about 10% of the audience thinking that the next 1 3/4 hours would be the same left. The second act had a faster pace and nobody fell asleep, so when the third act started I hoped it would be the same but it went back to way to much dialogue that slowed it down again. It was 11 pm when we finally escaped. It was a shame because on the whole I thought it was good, just in needed cutting down.
Photo by Steve Lunam
