When you get to sixty you have experience which allows you to do things better and at the right pace — this is exactly what Alan Ayckbourn does with his latest trio of plays. Every director in the world will be beating a trail to his door asking to be allowed to put these plays on their stages. The last play in the series RolePlay is his 60th and it’s a corker.
“RolePlay” is in repertory at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough until the 17th of November, 2001.
The London docklands apartments have new occupants. Julie-Ann Jobson (Saskia Butler) and Justin Lazenby (Bill Champion) have been living together and are awaiting the arrival of the parents to make the announcement of their intended wedding over a quite well rehearsed dinner party. Seems simple enough, but Ayckbourn’s plays are never simple and the latest RolePlay lives up to this reputation. Two people with different upbringings start to show the differences and Justin begins to notice Julie-Ann’s little family traits that are funny at first and then start to irritate. Julie has her ideas of how the evening has to go which spills over into how their life should continue after the announcement — no sex until the marriage. This comes as a shock to Justin and he starts to wonder who he is marrying. A lost fork gets the evening off to a good start as a hysterical Julie rushes out to buy a replacement. Left alone contemplating his fate Justin hears a noise on the balcony. Investigating he finds a dishevelled girl who has climbed down from above.
From this moment on chaos reigns. The girl, Paige Petite (Alison Pargeter), turns out to be a lap dancer living with Rudy Ravan, a gangster, who lives in the penthouse apartment. Soon Micky Rale (Tim Faraday), a retired boxer turned thug, bangs on the door looking for his charge and puts the fear of God into Justin, which is soon shared with July-Ann. Then Julie-Ann’s parents arrive from Doncaster. A strange couple, with the father Derek Jobson (Robert Austin), the south of England’s perception of a northerner, this time having made money from three garden centres and telling bad jokes. The wife, Dee Jobson (Beth Tuckley), is a mundane dizzy “Lily Savage” type figure. With the arrival of Justin’s mother Arabella Lazenby (Jacqueline King), a toyboy chasing, drink soaked woman who gives the impression of having touched society, the ingredients are set for an intriguing evening. The visitors do not realise that the young couple are under threat from Micky, who has a gun, and carry on as is their normal everyday way, which gives numerous intrigues and laughs for the very appreciative audience to enjoy. You will have to go to see this play to find out what really is going on and if you do you will not be disappointed.
So what of the acting — it’s superb. It’s impossible to single out anyone in particular for there is no division big enough. It seems inadequate to say this, but they were all great. Ayckbourn’s direction as usual was faultless. The only sad note in this production was why could not Christine Wall, the costume designer, get a coat to fit Robert Austin — the sleeve were over his hands which made him look as though he shopped at Oxfam and not a store that reflected his stature as the owner of a prosperous business.
This evening at the theatre is an evening of fine wine that has matured well. Make every effort to see this play, preferably all three if you have the chance. Savour it. © BA
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