When Ronald Harwood’s Quartet received its premiere at the Albery Theatre in 1999, the critical response was surprisingly lukewarm and, in many ways, a little condescending. Yes indeed, it was very much a vehicle for a group of mature actors, but surely this is cause for celebration rather than a glibly raised highbrow eyebrow?
Many will be familiar with the piece from Dustin Hoffman’s film adaptation of 2012 but, while this screen version adds an extensive and starry cast of extras, the stage play maintains its focus on the eponymous group of four, and it is all the better for it.
A group of three friends, Reggie, Cissy and Wilf, have settled in nicely at a home for retired musicians, but the balance of their cheerful camaraderie is about to see a seismic upheaval with the arrival of the indomitable Jean, with whom they all share a past – some more comfortably than others. Jean’s brief marriage to Reggie decades ago has left a lot in its wake, but this is not the only skeleton in their collective closet.
The committee, who are arranging a concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday, have decreed that the friends perform their celebrated quartet from Rigoletto, an old recording of which has recently been re-released. Jean, however, astonishes her friends with the vehemence of her objection. Teams of wild horses couldn’t drag her to sing it again. As the friends patch up old differences and try to rescue the situation, they finally begin to be honest about the difficulties that have beset them, both in their past and with advancing years.
In this original stage format, Quartet is a delightful set of character studies and a tour-de-force for each of its four actors. By turns laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely touching, the text delves into the frustrations of getting older, and especially the heartbreak of losing the ability to do some of the things that used to almost define a person’s existence.
There is gentle fun to be had by Trevor Butlin, who plays the rather staid and uptight Reggie, and Alison McLellan as the lovably scatterbrained Cissy. Right from the outset these two are verbally sparring with Vince Perry’s lecherous Wilf. Perry is a frequent scene-stealer and succeeds in keeping Wilf on the right side of likeability despite his overactive libido. But there is no denying that much of the best material is reserved for Jean (she got a standing ovation at Covent Garden you know?) and Caroline Young, who delighted audiences last season in Arsenic and Old Lace, has a wonderful time with the part.
Director Jane Barth is keen to point out that the play does much better at delving into the psychology of the four characters than its screen incarnation, and she has done a great job of highlighting this without ever downplaying the comedy element. With impressive set designs from John McGinn which transform the setting scene by scene, Quartet is a heartwarming way to fill a chill winter evening and will send you out into the night with a smile.
Caroline Young, Alison McLellan, Trevor Butlin and Vince Perry in Quartet - Picture © Stephen Cain Photography
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
Comments
Post a Comment