BOEING
BOEING
Talking
Scarlet at the Civic Theatre
04.03.14
Brighton-based
Talking Scarlet have been touring this frenetic farce for a year or
more, and hope to extend its life into 2015 …
There's
certainly plenty of AirMiles left in the old Caravelle, and Patric
Kearns' stylish production reminds us
of
what a success it's had, from its opening in 1962
to a star-studded revival of 2007.
The
set is sophisticated 70s Parisian, though the performances are less
subtle generally, with lots of supercharged shouting and meticulous
slapstick.
The
three mini-skirted cyphers who make up Bernard's “international
harem” are played with a shameless sense of fun by Ciara Janson
[Air France], Zoie Kennedy [Lufthansa] and Kim Tiddy [TWA].
Their
fiancé is “Parisian bachelor” Ben Roddy, his ordered timetable
trashed by turbulence and new technology. But the evening really
belongs to Philip Stewart, as his unpolished provincial friend – a
fine, manic physical performance – and Anita Graham as his
seen-it-all cynical housekeeper, a welcome oasis of subtlety in a
stormy night.
