Maureen Lipman rises above disappointing play
Orange Tree Theatre Richmond
The critics loved Maureen Lipman. They were not so keen on Peter Quilter‘s play (‘Maureen Lipman, 80, deserves a hit play. This isn’t it’ Times headline). After a short tour, it will reside in the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre from 8 July for a month. More reviews may follow.
3 stars ⭑⭑⭑
The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming loved the star: ‘Lipman gives a virtuoso performance, deftly pitched between comedy and pathos. She brings great comic timing to Allegra’s sharp wit and spry energy to her routines, but she also reveals flashes of vulnerability and anxiety.’ She called the play: ‘a rather old-fashioned comedy with a surreal edge that suggests the fantastical arena of her imagination.’ She continued: ‘There’s wit and compassion to the piece, which celebrates the uniqueness of this generous, eccentric person and touches on some probing questions about society’s response to those who are different in any way. Stephen Mear’s production embraces the joy of the musical breaks while also quietly underscoring the difficulties for those who care for fragile people.’
Aliya Al-Hussan, usually to be found on BroadwayWorld, popped up at WhatsOnStage: ‘Lipman carries the show in the titular role. Resplendent in wild, purple-tinged hair and brightly coloured clothes, she bursts with irrepressible joy and enthusiasm for life. Her comic timing is impeccable, gradually showing cracks of vulnerability developing in the character, even as she delivers waspish one-liners.’ As to the play: ‘Quilter’s writing has a gentle rhythm and there is a well-written sitcom-like feel to the comedy, but it never gets quite to the sharp nub of the issue that the public has a problem with those who do not quite fit in and that the happiness of others can be uncomfortable.’
2 stars ⭑⭑
The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish didn’t hold back: ‘Not even Maureen Lipman can salvage Peter Quilter’s disappointing, sluggish comedy about a dotty lady deemed a local nuisance for singing in public.’
The Times’ Clive Davis agreed: ‘(Maureen Lipman) is a force of nature. But even she can’t redeem this weirdly lacklustre new comedy about a relentlessly upbeat woman who has the urge to burst into song at inappropriate moments. There might well be a cheerful musical buried somewhere here, but Peter Quilter’s script limps from punchline to punchline like some misbegotten 1970s sitcom.’ He continued: ‘Limp puns are piled high, and Stephen Mear’s direction suffers from a fatal lack of pace.’
Emma John for The Guardian added to the agony: ‘in a production by Stephen Mear that’s heavy on the whimsy and light on everything else. Allegra presents like one of Alan Bennett’s lovable, spirited eccentrics, but we learn nothing about her beyond her unworldliness.’
Critics’ average rating 2.4⭑
After a short tour, Allegra will transfer to Harold Pinter Theatre 8 July to 8 August. Buy tickets directly from www.allegraplay.com
If you’ve seen Allegra with Maureen Lipman, please leave a review and/or rating below
It’s always the critics from major newspapers who hate shows the audience actually loves. My take is that these people are writers with media degrees but not inherently theatre fans, and ended up on the theatre review desk for lack of choice. The more shows they see, the more tedious it all becomes to them. What is needed is for papers to employ real theatre fans to do reviews, because the drivel these idiots come out with is the opposite of what real theatre fans saw in this and other shows they lambast. I saw Allegra and personally thought it was amazing. It received a standing ovation on 15th June when I was there. Boo to the so-called critics from these jumped up papers.
Agreed!
The review by Robert Cope in theatrelife.co.uk offers a far better understanding of the play and performance. I do think the reviews of the nationals reflect the current fads and fashions and miss the message which audiences grasp quite easily.