The following review was written by David Butler-Cole, a long-standing Algarve resident. He is a playwright and theatre director who has been involved in the arts here on the Algarve for many years.
EAT YOUR HEART OUT MAGGIE SMITH !
Talking Heads is a series of monologues Alan Bennett wrote in the 1980s for television. Little did anyone know that these same monologues would become an iconic modern classic. His characters are the unfortunate and loneliness the theme. With Bennett's light touch, he paints their mundane lives with charm, humour and respect.
Chris Winstanley produced four of the best known of these tragi-comedies for us at the charming little Mascarenhas Gregório theatre in Silves. And what an amazing evening it was! I feel that this is a defining moment for the Algarveans. These monologues were written for professional actors and I would never have believed that The Algarveans’ amateurs would have a cats chance in hell of being able to portray these deceptively simple texts. But they did – in spades.
In Chip in the Sugar Ian MacCullagh plays the carer to his aged mother. When she meets up with an old flame it turns his world upside down. Ian has this amazing ability to deliver voices in a three-side conversation brilliantly – all in Bennett's natural Leeds accent. He did seem a mite uneasy around the stage tonight, probably the result of the bronchitis he has been suffering from.
Next came A Cream Cracker Under The Settee with that Algarveans’ old timer Gloria Costa as an old lady who has fallen whilst dusting. I have never seen Gloria when she hasn't given her all to a part and this time she did not disappoint. When she ate the errant cracker, it brought the house down.
In the second half Algarveans’ newcomer Maria Ferrie is the alcoholic vicar's wife that has taken a fancy to a Pakistani shop owner. This is Maggie Smith's favourite role but in my book Maria's version was even better. Her portrayal of arranging flowers in the church after helping herself to the communion wine had us rolling in the aisles. Maria has a terrific talent and I hope we will see her on the stage again soon.
Lastly Melanie Winstanley's A Lady of Letters was a tour de force. What a gifted actress she is. She manages to turn her complaining busybody character round completely after landing up in prison through writing one too many letters.
Accolades to Chris Winstanley who directed this thoroughly enjoyable evening's entertainment. I hope he will be able to take all or part of the monologues to other venues to allow other audiences to see this great production.
