The Fantastic Reality of Frederick Goodge

Inside the eye of your mind

London – Etcetera Theatre – 5 – 11 August 2010 – 21.00 (1:10)

This is a one-man play or show (depending on your point of view), written and performed by Gerry Howell.

Gerry Howell is Frederick Goodge

Frederick Goodge is the character that Gerry Howell inhabits rather than performs, an ordinary man, although one with extraordinary dreams, and an extraordinary perspective on ‘reality’, whatever that might be.

Into his character’s ‘reality’, a lot of other people thrust themselves, sometimes as references, sometimes appearing on the stage to be ‘played’ in turn by Frederick Goodge in a mad imitation of drama.

It is in Orpington swimming baths that Frederick Goodge fleetingly gets to meet the girl of his dreams, but the course of true love does not run smoothly for him, as he becomes caught up in a fiction of his own making, as well as Croydon, home of Peter Sarstedt, whom he is determined to visit.

Let’s be fair. Frederick Goodge’s singing voice may not be up to much, but his search for the writer of sixties hit “Where do you go to, my lovely?” does lead him to trumpeter Penelope (whose name means ‘weaving’ or something) and to a jazz festival in Juan les Pins (which – eerily? – was mentioned in the Sarstedt song).

The twists and turns of this extraordinary story are too convoluted to describe here, even if I could remember precisely how Frederick becomes an employment agent or why he feels he has to break in to a very tall building (reminiscent of a vegetable) to rescue the lover of his fictional heroine from suicide.

It is, quite simply, that kind of show, performed with relish by Gerry Howell, whose inspiration comes miscellaneously from Albert Camus, TS Eliot and other literary greats. This show apparently, began as a novel. Now, it is a very entertaining hour of performance comedy.

Performer: Gerry Howell

Reviewed 10 August 2010

(c) Michael Spring

Siren, by Peter Briffa

Sex in the city

London – Etcetera Theatre – 10 -13  August 2010 – 19:30 (1:00)

This is a tale told backwards, and so it begins – rather than ends – in something darker than tears.

The plot is a simple one, of a young and beautiful prostitute (Paula Gilbert) and her long term client (Glenn Speers), and the development (or undoing) of their relationship. The plot, running backwards, does take a little time to grasp, and while it is quite momentous in its scope, the brief exchanges of conversation are really what matters. There’s nothing too insightful about these exchanges, but in their entirety they do have a peculiar resonance that stays with you long after the cast have taken their bows.

Paula Gilbert is the siren

Now that could just be down to prurient curiosity. The oldest profession, by its very nature has something mysterious about it. (How, for example, does it begin, especially for those who are quite clearly not ‘slags working Kings Cross’?)

This, and all those other questions you’ve always wanted to ask of prostitutes and their clients, are explored in Peter Briffa’s multi-scened drama.

The set is simple – bed, chair, window, a few other bits and pieces – but it’s stylishly done, and the lighting too, with the single spot highlighting the Venetian blind gave a point of focus where too often in small theatre spaces (where sets have to be changed quickly) this is overlooked.

We’re never really sure about anyone’s identity. The girl could be Trixie or Jennifer or Katherine; the man, John or Terry. What becomes clear is that the man’s son could be dating this girl (someone like him probably is) and while the publicity leaflet’s description of this drama – ‘searing’ – isn’t quite right, it does have a poignancy that stems from the ordinariness of the people concerned and which does take us a lot further than the frisson felt by the average Guardian reader picking up a copy of the News of the World on a Sunday.

Paula Gilbert looks every inch the part of the thousand-quid hooker. Glenn Speers was perhaps a little more hesitant, especially in those early scenes when the boundary between love and violence comes ever closer. But director Paul Blinkhorn moves everything on at a pretty good pace, in spite of the clothes that necessarily have to come on and off with some frequency.

In terms of the plotline, I thought Peter Briffa let the man off the hook a little towards the end, but nevertheless, the resonance remains.

Cast Credits: Girl – Paula Gilbert; Man – Glenn Speers

Company Credits: Writer – Peter Briffa. Director – Paul Blinkhorn. Sound and lighting – uncredited. Set design – Aaron J Dootson.

Reviewed 10 August 2010

(c) Michael Spring