Saturday, September 13, 2008

MY BRILLIANT DIVORCE

JR was at the Mercury


... a highly enjoyable evening watching Dillie Keane in 'My Brilliant
Divorce'. I knew her previously as the pianist with the acerbic wit from 'Fascinating Aida', 'she' with such telling glances from her keyboard. In Geraldine Aron's one woman play she used all her audience-handling experience to excellent effect, playing Angela Lipsky whose husband is in mid-life crisis and an affair. We sympathise with her in her difficult divorce proceedings with an especially shifty solicitor, a series of helpline counsellors, and various 'dates'. This is tour de force material that Ms Keane manages with great aplomb, taking us from gales of laughter to sadness with a flick of her acting prowess switch.

Sneaking snippets from the flyer we have : 'as irresistible as a chocolate truffle .. a sweet surprise' and 'great jokes but there are also sudden shafts of piercing emotional truth .. a small masterpiece'

A late start due to technical difficulties, which turned out to be 'sound' .. we even had hiccups during the play but these did not put Dillie off .. indeed they probably made us more sympathetic, especially in the second act where she used one of the blips to her advantage. The easily tour-able set was simple; a table and chair in front of a gauze backdrop where the occasional simplistic but highly effective images were projected.

I see from the flyer that it is being performed at the Palace Theatre in Southend on 4th October. Do try to see it !

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