Last night I had the pleasure of going along to the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham to see Shane Richie take on the lead role in The Entertainer. Normally one to only really watch musicals at the theatre, here’s my review of this classic John Osborne play.
“Perhaps it is more relevant that I could ever have imagined…”
Originally performed in 1957 with the one and only Laurence Olivier, this updated version of The Entertainer sees Shane Richie take on the role of Archie Rice – a washed-up showbiz type struggling with life in Britain at the time of the Falklands war. One of the things you’ll notice first about this play is the incredible soundtrack that greets you whilst waiting for the show to start. Think of your classic 80s tunes and they are likely on the playlist.
We first meet Archie Rice onstage performing his comedy show. Its a type of comedy that we don’t really see anymore in 2019. Think crude jokes, tap-dancing and of course a good old sing-song. Shane Richie captures the spirit of classic variety excellently. Admittedly in an age of #MeToo and equal rights, the character of Archie Rice and the jokes he tells seem somewhat alien to me as a 30 year old female. Some of them did fall a little flat for me, but having said that there was definitely an audience enjoying them in the room and it seemed to capture the nostalgia of 1980s Britain and the time in which they were being told. The fact that I didn’t enjoy every joke also goes to show the real problem which Archie Rice faces – the fact that in a changing political climate, his brand doesn’t pull in punters like it used to.
This is where the character of his daughter, Jean, seems to shine. Played by The X Factor’s Diana Vickers, Jean is a 20-something anti-war campaigner. She is the only character in the play that would seem to fit anywhere in today’s Britain and clearly shows the difficult dynamic between the older and younger generations. Diana gives a great performance, particularly in the second half, where we really get to see her character develop and believe that perhaps she could be the change she wants to see in the world.
Perhaps my favourite character in the play was that of Billy Rice, the patriarch of the family and one-time famous performer. Taking on the role of Grandad, Pip Donaghy seemed to switch effortlessly between reminiscing about the good old days, and hoping that everything will be better in the future for his granddaughter. He is your stereotypical granddad that you love unconditionally, look up to for his stories of the war, and can somehow brush over his occasional outbursts about the people next door, realising that he is from an entirely different time. A much more likeable character than that of his son Archie, perhaps this goes to show just how good Shane Richie is in creating a character who doesn’t really fit in anymore. He seems tragically to have become the man who society at least tries to forget.
“…this goes to show just how good Shane Richie is…”
Honestly, when I came out of the theatre I wasn’t sure how I felt about the play. I felt a little torn between cringing at some of the dialogue and its outdated jokes, and amazed that the world seems to have changed so much in such a short time. But perhaps this is where the true magic of The Entertainer lies. In all of its irrelevance to today’s Britain, perhaps it is more relevant that I could ever have imagined. And perhaps in 30 years’ time we will see a newer version of The Entertainer and the future-30 year olds will cringe at the thought of a country ripped apart by Brexit, caricatures of our now PM and the fact that social media and reality TV stars reign supreme.
Have you seen The Entertainer? Showing all this week at The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham. Book your tickets here or see what else is coming to the beautiful Gloucestershire theatre.
**I was gifted press tickets in return for a review. All opinions are my own. All photos courtesy of The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham**
