Andrew Gillies (1/06 Relatively Speaking)
Excerpt from FYI London 1/13/06: Andrew Gillies
Speaking Volumes: Director Gina Wilkinson found more than expected in the comedy Relatively Speaking.
Noel Gallagher January 13, 2006
Gina Wilkinson admits being dubious when she was asked to direct Relatively Speaking.
"There was just no fire in my belly to do a broad 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink' British comedy," the Victoria native says of the Alan Ayckbourn play, which opens its two-week Grand Theatre stay tonight.
Wilkinson relented after considering the high-quality writing Ayckbourn employed in his witty chronicling of a young couple's encounter with older, married counterparts at an English country home.
"The script is just so well crafted. It's constructed like a musical score, with discipline and rigour and each plot development cleverly arranged to follow the previous one very naturally," she adds. The play, which premiered in 1968, was Ayckbourn's first major stage hit.
The playwright went on to pen How the Other Half Loves (1971), Absurd Person Singular (1974), Intimate Exchanges (1985), Invisible Friends (1991) and other popular comedies about marital discord and class conflicts among the English middle class.
"Ayckbourn obviously hates marriage because his plays present a pretty grim view of it," notes Wilkinson. "There's this nastiness, a kind of black humour, located just beneath the surface and that's what intrigued and involved me."
That scenario is personified in Relatively Speaking by Philip and Sheila, whose glib, funny banter cloaks serious problems in their long-time marriage.
Wilkinson cast Andrew Gillies, a veteran of the Stratford and Shaw festivals, in the pivotal role of Philip.
"I wanted Andrew to be our anchor," she explains. "He has this manic intensity and is able to create that feeling of British repression that's so crucial to the character."
The director next recruited Barbara Worthy to portray Philip's long-suffering spouse, Sheila. "She's another Brit, so she can handle the accent, but also understands the rhythm of the dialogue and how it masks some unpleasant undertones."
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IF YOU GO
What: Relatively Speaking, by Alan Ayckbourn; a Grand Theatre production directed by Gina Wilkinson; featuring Andrew Gillies, Brendan Murray, Barbara Worthy, Jenny Young
When: Till Jan. 28; Tuesday to Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; matinees, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Where: Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond St.
Tickets: $15 to $49; call 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593
Tickets online at www.grandtheatre.com.
© FYI London
Excerpt from FYI London 1/14/06: Andrew Gillies
Relatively Speaking REVIEW: Love, happiness relative in eternal quest for love
Noel Gallagher
The London Free Press
January 14, 2006
Relatively Speaking lays waste that romantic song about love and marriage going together like a horse and carriage.
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Directed by Gina Wilkinson, the Grand's offering remains true to Aykbourn's main aim, which is to present a portrait of the grim humour and emotional havoc created as human beings search desperately for that elusive thing called love.
The plot's young lovers are Ginny (Jenny Young), a survivor of several affairs, and Greg (Brendan Murray), a raw rookie in the battle of the sexes. He blithely ignores obvious signs that his girlfriend is keeping secrets and isn't concerned when she goes off to visit her parents in the country. In reality, Ginny's headed for the home of her office boss/lover Philip (Andrew Gillies) and his wife, Sheila (Barbara Worthy).
A comic twist is applied when clueless Greg shows up there unannounced, intending to ask the couple for their daughter's hand in marriage.
What follows is a plethora of misunderstandings, mistaken identities and miscommunications. All take place against the musical backdrop of sweet Beatles tunes from the end of that decade dubbed "the swinging '60s."
The show's strong ensemble cast is led by Gillies and his portrayal of the world-weary, middle-aged Philip. He's cheating on his wife, while suspecting she's been unfaithful. He also harbours the vain hope that engaging in witty repartee with his glib spouse will allow them to avoid confronting their dysfunctional relationship.
"Marriage is an epidemic and I'm the only person who's built up an immunity," declares the cynical Philip.
During its Wednesday night preview, the Grand's show endured a slow opening act, but recovered its pace and timing in the second half to produce some very effective satire.
In the end, Relatively Speaking leaves us with the ominous notion that our mismatched lovers are destined to repeat the heartbreaking pattern of their unhappily married elders.
And that, dear friends, is no laughing matter.
© FYI London