Review - Crimes of the Heart – Maskers Theatre Co. - The Nuffield Theatre
Thursday 28th February, 2013
By David Cradduck
david.cradduck@winchestertoday.co.uk
It is always brave to tackle foreign accents en masse on stage – the most talented and stylish poduction can all be in vain if the audience is distracted by a group of Indians appearing to come from mid Wales or Geordies that obviously have never marched further north than Watford Gap.
So the prospect of six actors tackling an authentic and consistent southern drawl worthy of Dolly Parton for the best part of 180 minutes was a mental hurdle for me, as it probably was for many members of the audience who went to see Southampton based Maskers tackle Crimes of the Heart at The Nuffield. Indeed, it seems to be a regular feature of their annual winter appearance at the Nuffield to take on stuff that many groups would never attempt – last year the accents were also all-American for the equally gritty, witty The Graduate, along with the bonus challenge of being compared to the iconic film of the same name.
But within a few moments of the (virtual) curtain going up on a stunning but simple and beautifully lit set of the McGrath sisters' Mississipi home, all thoughts of misplaced accents vanished from my mind, so mesmerised was I at the unususal scenario that unfolded. I was transported to early 70s Hazlehurst, small town Mississipi, to the dysfunctional, endearing and slightly shocking world of the three sisters at the heart of this adventure, which effectively has no plot but is a 24 hour snapshot of the lives of Lenny – just turned 30, dowdy and stay-at-home because she is convinced that her 'shrunken ovary' will put any man off for life; Meg – rebel, self-centred, failed singer, man-eater; and little Babe, who has been recently arrested for shooting her abusive bully of a husband but seems pretty unpertrubed about it, almost as if she had just won first prize in a local fair. Behind all the arguments, mood swings and jealousies is a deep, underlying bond the sisters have for each other and there are some very touching moments when one or more of them lets their guard down.
This is a comedy and a very funny one at that. The humour occasionally touches on farce and slapstick, with such age old devices as a long telephone cord wrapped around legs and cake throwing. Indeed, the antics of a failed suicide are painful to watch because they are both sad beyond belief and extremely funny at the same time – imagine carrying around a huge chunk of ceiling and light fitting attached to the rope around your neck because the ceiling gave way, or banging your head on the metal shelf whilst trying to stick your head in the old gas oven.
The acting - as is Maskers' trade mark – was impeccable, with a strong cast of six. Steve Cozier, James Norton and Ruth Kibble as the supporting cast of ex-lover, lawyer and jealous cousin all had key parts and played them very well with authentic accents, limps and suitable tacky clothing; but it was the sisters played by Susannah Lawther, Rachael Courage and Jo Russel, who stole the show with their range of emotions, stamina and enthusiasm and the audience couldn't fail to bond with them. Director Sarah-Jayne Wareham obviously had a clear vision of how to put this across and did so very effectively.
Crimes of the Heart is a long play and the first act at over 90 minutes perhaps ought to have come with a health warning – to nip to the loo before curtain up – but at no time did the pace drop or the show drag. It was an emotional roller coaster, sad, shocking and funny in equal parts from start to finish.
This was a touching piece of theatre that successfully combined comedy, pathos and drama in one enjoyable wrapper. Hugely watchable, great acting and so plausible.
Picture: Meg (Rachael Courage), Lenny (Susannah Lawther) and Babe (Jo Russel) enjoy a moment of slapstick humour in Maskers' Crimes of the Heart at The Nuffield.
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