By Cal
Link: https://lyceum.org.uk/whats-on/production/tennis-elbow
Available until: Livestream on Saturday 8th May at 7pm.
Tennis Elbow was written by the acclaimed Scottish playwright John Byrne, some thirteen years after what many probably believed to be his last play. It is a sort of sequel or companion piece to another play what he wrote (bad grammar intentional), Writer’s Cramp.
Reviews of Tennis Elbow have varied and the people who have enjoyed it most seem to be the ones who are already familiar with and fans of John Byrne’s work, particularly Writer’s Cramp. He’s not a writer I was aware of prior to watching (or rather listening to) Tennis Elbow and I think this probably put me at a severe disadvantage when it came to enjoying it.
Writer’s Cramp was about writer and artist Francis McDade. Tennis Elbow is about his estranged wife, Pam, and her rather colourful life, which includes time spent in what appears to be a convent school, a wartime hospital and a prison. As life goes, there are much better places in which to spend your time. The story is designed as a tribute to an underappreciated writer, told through Pam’s letters, which merge into more conventionally-written scenes.
Tennis Elbow is directed by Elizabeth Newman, who is assisted by Blythe Jandoo, a very talented Princess Jasmine cover in the West End’s production of Aladdin. Blythe also teaches dance classes and is a member of the band Arroh (previously Maid, who competed to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, in the days when we were allowed to travel from all over the world to stand in a big crowd of people we didn’t live with) so the only question now is whether there is anything she can’t do. The direction of Tennis Elbow allows the actors to bring out the comedy and word play of the piece and there are definitely some very enjoyable scenes and moments, but the play is quite confusing to follow. Perhaps it would have helped if I’d got hold of a copy of Writer’s Cramp before listening to this play. I get the impression there were quite a lot of in-jokes.
The role of Pam is played by Kirsty Stuart, who is vivacious, intelligent, and very sweet even when she’s trying to get money out of people, which she does rather a lot. Maureen Beattie is a warm-voiced Narrator, as well as a slightly terrifying Mother Scholastica. Jessica Hardwick is full of personality as Pam’s friend Brazil, and Louise Jameson, a former Doctor Who companion who also has the distinction of holding the title character’s attention for more than one series in the TV drama Bergerac, is intentionally overdramatic and hilarious as Pam’s mother. Brian Ferguson takes the role of Francis McDade, but it’s the women who really shine in this play.
Tennis Elbow is rather difficult to follow at
times, but it definitely has its moments. And they’re great moments.
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