By Cal
Link: https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/events/rose
Available until: 26th September. Bookings need to be made before 10am on the day of your
chosen performance.
The first time I saw Maureen Lipman, she was in a musical with
Hugh Jackman – and she was my favourite. If that doesn’t say something
about her talent, I’m not sure what does.
I’m really not sure there’s anything Maureen Lipman can’t do. Comedy, tragedy, drama, musicals with Hugh. She’s probably even good in Coronation Street. Imogen told me (having read it in a magazine which she feels should have had far more articles about boys) that Maureen (it feels rude calling an icon that, but Lipman is worse) and her Coronation Street co-star Rula live together in real life. I’d like to be a fly on that wall – even if I do end up like the fly in This Beautiful Virtual Village.
Rose, written by Martin Sherman, is a play about a remarkable woman’s remarkable
life. Rose is the only character who appears in the play. She sits on the edge
of a table and shares memories from throughout her life. Her own story and
those of the people she has loved and lost, all brought to life in front of us.
The places she has lived and visited. The many things Rose has done in her
life. Her courage, resilience and intelligence.
It does take a little while to get to know Rose. Her speech
is so measured, every memory so carefully presented, she might seem a little
unemotional and disconnected at first. But all you need is to get to know her.
Getting to know a theatre character can be a bit like getting to know a person
in real life. It’s a lot faster, of course – you can usually get to know a lot
more about a theatre character in five minutes than you can a person – but the
process isn’t that different. Sometimes you feel like you know a character
instantly. Sometimes you’re a bit unsure and it takes a couple of minutes, but
then you realise this is someone you want in your life for the next two hours.
Someone you’ll be thinking about when the two hours are over.
Once you get to know Rose, it’s clear the very last thing
she is is emotional and detached. She feels things very deeply and although she
seldom expresses her emotions in an obvious way, they are there. If you look
and listen closely, you can see and hear them in Lipman’s performance – and
then you find you’re caught up in her emotions too. She is mesmerising. And in
the moments where her emotions become stronger and more obvious, they are all
the more tangible because you know she’s somebody who is usually in control.
As well as being an incredible experience for audiences, I
think this would also be a great performance for other actors to watch. If an
actor can gain even a fraction of Maureen Lipman’s ability to interpret and
communicate text and present a character, they should have a very good career.
Sometimes a performance leaps out and grabs you from the
first sentence. Sometimes a performance sneaks up on you gradually and becomes
something really powerful which you won’t forget. Rose was the latter
for me. Maybe that won’t be the case for everyone but I urge everyone who
enjoys plays and enjoys stories to watch it tomorrow or the next day. You might
not get another chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment