Magnolias was a splendid treat
Steel Magnolias. Black Ram Theatre Company at the Quay Theatre, Sudbury. Review by Mary Dunk
IN the close atmosphere of Truvy Jones’ beauty salon, in the American Deep South, the wisecracks come thick and fast. We learn that a gentleman is one who manages to take the dishes out of the sink before he pees into it, and that to have one’s tattoos at least spelt correctly is a social advantage. The deeply pinked-up dcor matches the sometimes over-blown hairdos of the six feisty regulars who bring in not just themselves, but their lives for regular attentions. Just like magnolias, valued by gardeners for their longevity and exquisite fragrances, these steely women don’t like their roots to be disturbed. The horticultural metaphor is spot-on.
Jennifer Kirby as Shelby, preparing for her wedding, spars with her pushy and over-protective mother M’Lynn, played by Claire Bibby. Their sensitive development of a deeply moving mother/daughter relationship, moving from humour to real pain and sacrifice in the face of childbirth and terminal illness, anchors this drama.
All the characters have endured personal loss, but find ways forward with the intense friendship and support of the eccentrically assorted group. Ironically, Truvy’s belief that there is no such thing as natural beauty is belied by the beauty and warmth of their mutual trust. Helen Fullerton enables Truvy’s exuberantly overdressed, and immensely likeable, personality to burst into life.
The outside world comes into the salon, the only setting presented over a couple of years. The inevitably disappointing men in their lives may be physically absent, but are very much available for withering analysis. We learn that Ouiser Bordeaux, adamant that men are out after experiencing the double blow of bad marriages and ungrateful children, develops a reluctant interest in an old flame. Trapped by southern conventions, where women grow tomatoes because they just do, she emerges to face broader horizons. Marion Small gives charm to this outspoken and blunt woman. Annelle Dupuy turns from the lost new trainee dumped by a delinquent man (to whom she may or may not have been married), to find God in a serious way. Mothered by Truvy, she blooms from being a figure of fun to a mature woman and expectant mother. Rachel Porter approaches this exhilarating role with humour and determination. Anni Tosh’s Clairee, who makes the journey from widowhood to real independence and strength, not only follows football but ends up buying up a radio station to broadcast the sport. Her personal growth was sensitively presented.
Black Ram drive this classic on full throttle. Transplanting a well-known film to the stage is always a challenge, but Ross McGregor’s direction, and the consistent enthusiasm of the cast always reap rewards. The production is a splendid treat.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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