Shirley Valentine at the Menier Chocolate Factory
The play is a one hander by Willy Russell. If you've seen the film you'll know the story. The key difference is that any speech or description of the other characters is reported by Shirley. This makes it a storytelling piece.
Meera Syal plays Shirley.
Shirley is a lost woman. She has become wife, mother, cook, cleaner, comforter. She is ignored and taken for granted to such an extent that she literally talks to the wall as if it is her friend. "isn't that right wall?". She is many things to many people but she certainly isn't the mischievous and adventurous teenager that was Shirley Valentine. Valentine is her maiden name.
After a big push from a good friend and a particularly ugly tantrum from her husband Joe Shirley sets off to rediscover the woman she lost.
It's tragic and hysterically funny by turns and Meera Syal is perfect as the disaffected woman whose confidence is shattered. It is a joy to watch Meera voice all of the characters as Shirley reports their speech and Meera's talent for accents is used to great effect. She is utterly convincing and yet is completely aware of the audience. The direct address style of the play lends itself to this. I feel like I know her husband Joe, but we never meet or see him. His personality and appearance are drawn entirely by Shirley's (aka Willy Russell's) words.
I was also seriously impressed by Shirley/Meera making egg and chips (from actual potatoes) on stage. Astrid and I agreed that if we tried to act, remember lines, engage the audience and then peel and chop potatoes we'd cut our fingers off and probably set the stage alight with the chip pan.
In short I loved this production. The Menier Chocolate Factory will always have issues with tube noise as the trains rattle past above but is continues to present strong work that can transfer to the west end.
Meera Syal takes the part of Shirley Valentine and uses her considerable comic talents and excellence at accents to great effect and draws you into Shirley's world. I think a lot of the people in the audience left with more awareness of the unused life they carry around within them.
Interview with Meera about Shirley Valentine here http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/mar/28/meera-syal-shirley-valentine-interview
Lighthearted review here http://westendwhingers.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/review-shirley-valentine-menier-chocolate-factory/
Meera Syal plays Shirley.
Shirley is a lost woman. She has become wife, mother, cook, cleaner, comforter. She is ignored and taken for granted to such an extent that she literally talks to the wall as if it is her friend. "isn't that right wall?". She is many things to many people but she certainly isn't the mischievous and adventurous teenager that was Shirley Valentine. Valentine is her maiden name.
After a big push from a good friend and a particularly ugly tantrum from her husband Joe Shirley sets off to rediscover the woman she lost.
It's tragic and hysterically funny by turns and Meera Syal is perfect as the disaffected woman whose confidence is shattered. It is a joy to watch Meera voice all of the characters as Shirley reports their speech and Meera's talent for accents is used to great effect. She is utterly convincing and yet is completely aware of the audience. The direct address style of the play lends itself to this. I feel like I know her husband Joe, but we never meet or see him. His personality and appearance are drawn entirely by Shirley's (aka Willy Russell's) words.
I was also seriously impressed by Shirley/Meera making egg and chips (from actual potatoes) on stage. Astrid and I agreed that if we tried to act, remember lines, engage the audience and then peel and chop potatoes we'd cut our fingers off and probably set the stage alight with the chip pan.
In short I loved this production. The Menier Chocolate Factory will always have issues with tube noise as the trains rattle past above but is continues to present strong work that can transfer to the west end.
Meera Syal takes the part of Shirley Valentine and uses her considerable comic talents and excellence at accents to great effect and draws you into Shirley's world. I think a lot of the people in the audience left with more awareness of the unused life they carry around within them.
Interview with Meera about Shirley Valentine here http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/mar/28/meera-syal-shirley-valentine-interview
Lighthearted review here http://westendwhingers.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/review-shirley-valentine-menier-chocolate-factory/