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This is a story which explores the lives and relationships of four generations of women from the same Manchester family through a series of snapshots of key moments in their lives. These are not presented in strict chronological order, but sometimes as flashbacks providing the history behind a key moment.
Doris is the elder matriarch. She had a promising career in teaching as a young woman but gave it up when she married. Her daughter is Margaret. Growing up during the Second World War. Margaret, much to her mothers chagrin, marries an American and takes a job as a typist. Her daughter is Jackie, a product of the permissive society of the 60's and 70's. Jackie is training as an artist when she falls pregnant, the result of a dalliance with a married man. Rosie, the final generation involved in the story is born. Jackie tries, but unable to cope with raising her new child alone, she turns to her mother for help. Margaret will take the child and raise her as her own so that Jackie may complete her education and pursue a career as an artist.
This is the background against which the action takes place. Each mother is infused with hopes and aspirations for her daughter. Each daughter is determined to go her own way and make her own mistakes.
I think it fair to say that this is a play which would appeal particularly to women, even if they do then run the risk of seing more of themselves in the characterisations than they may find entirely comfortable. However, it is by no means a play only for women. There is sufficient action and broad humour to keep persons of either sex entertained, even though the first act is extraordinarily long at around ninety minutes (the second is half that).
The action of the play does not follow in chronological order, but leaps forewards and backwards in time in a series of sketches. Indeed it ends at the beginning, with great-grandmother Doris enthusing about her engagement. The timeline is also interspersed with sequences of the characters playing together as children, exploring their inner selves. In these segments the ages are reversed, Doris and Margaret are the 'babies' representing the repressed innocence of their earlier upbringing. All of this is in no way confusing however, the plot is simple as the play concerned less with telling a story, than with exploring the attitudes and emotions of the different generations and the differing social more's that living in different eras has imposed upon them. Doris, after sixty of marriage, reflects that "I don't we liked each other very much", Margeret loves her husband but the marriage breaks down anyway, Jackie has a child by another woman's husband.
The are male characters in the play but they are unseen and unheard off-stage, ie. we hear the sound of a lawn mower and Doris's admonishments to "mind my Lily-of-the-Valley". The humour, generally, is derived less from the dialog per se as from the situations and the perfect sense of timing and delivery. The poignancy is touching but never self-pitying, rather the characters draw strength from their trials and tribulations.
The set is simple, primarily a bare flat stage with limited props but successive layers of coverings that are stripped away for different locations, eg. a grass lawn, a wooden floor, a stone flagged garden. Moreover the stage was arranged "in-the-round", with the audience on all four sides. To enhance the feel of the different time periods we are treated to clips of radio broadcasts and music ranging from George Formby to Elvis Costello.
This is a play that could never work without strong performances from talented performers, the story depends heavily on contrasts of emotion that must be brought out in order for the play to acheive its full impact. Thankfully, strong performances is precisely what it got. Deirdre Doone as Doris garnered many of the laughs with a series of sardonic one-liners. Janice McKenzie was impressive as Margaret whose stiffness as a mother bringing up her own granddaughter belies her earlier adventurous youth. Sukie Smith gained much sympathy as Jackie who is forced to accept reality and admit that she cannot bring up her daughter alone. Last but not least, Katie Wimpenny was brilliant as the precocious Rosie, full of a childs innocence. All worked so hard in their respective roles that it would be grossly unfair to single out any one above the others. All four were adept in their roles and succeeded brilliantly in making the jumps between the different ages of their characters.
A polished and finely balanced production of a moving and rewarding play. Magnificent performances, witty dialogue, a great evenings entertainment.