Filumena - Review

Theatre Royal, Windsor

***

Written by Eduardo de Filippo

English version by Keith Waterhouse & Willis Hall

Directed by Sean Mathias

Felicity Kendal and Matthew Kelly

Felicity Kendal and Matthew Kelly star in Eduardo de Filippo’s classic Neapolitan folly Filumena, delivering the 1970s translation penned by those stalwarts of modern English literature, Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall.

There are moments of comedy gold in the play's first half, particularly early on, as we learn of Kelly’s cantankerous, philandering Don Domenico being outwitted by his bride Filumena Marturano (Kendal) on the day of their marriage, a union which itself is a formalisation of their hitherto 35-year cohabitation.

Theirs is an unlikely romance. Filumena in her youth was a prostitute and the Don one of her clients, and from there blossomed a prickly love. Kelly and Kendal sparkle in their roles, with an electricity in their sparring that is frequently hilarious.

But Filumena (the play) cannot just rest on Kendal’s seductive, knowing wiles and Kelly’s frequent states of exasperation, brilliantly delivered though they may be. The story’s narrative offers a glimpse into the foibles and strata of 1940s Naples, but what once may have been an enchanting farce now seems dated and wordy. This review will not spoil any of the plot’s reveals, but especially in the second act, the comedy fast evaporates with the story condensing into a yarn that it is difficult to care about.

One imagines that de Filippo's original may well, like a fine chianti or prosciutto, have been steeped in l'italianità, the very essence of Italian culture, that will have added a richness to the tale that would have been recognised and adored by the cognoscenti.  Waterhouse and Hall’s translation however, for all its wit, strips away the beautiful Italian linguistics and the English that they replace it with quite simply lacks a romantic charm.  

The supporting cast – and all credit to producer Bill Kenwright Limited for employing such a large company – are for the most part a talented bunch with standout work from Julie Legrand as the faithful retainer Rosalia, and Jodie Steele as the Don’s latest young squeeze, Diana. 

At Windsor for another week and then touring, Filumena offers an evening of gentle entertainment.

Runs until 19th October and then on tour.

Photo credit: Jack Merriman

Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell - Review

Coach and Horses, London

*****

Written by Keith Waterhouse

Directed and adapted by James Hillier

Robert Bathurst

Keith Waterhouse’s brilliant biopic of Jeffrey Bernard one of Fleet Street’s most distinctive characters plays for a very limited 4-week season at The Coach and Horses pub in London’s Soho.

This production is remarkable for two reasons: the Coach and Horses was Bernard’s favoured drinking haunt and in this production the action actually takes place in the bar (with drink sales suspended during the performance so make sure drinks are purchased before the lights dim); and in Robert Bathurst’s one-man take on the alcoholic wordsmith there is to be found one of the finest performances in the capital. 

In what is effectively an hour-long monologue- interjected with very brief snatches of pre-recorded voices, Bathurst nails Bernard’s scorching wit. Waterhouse’s wry gags flow from start to finish with the play being a masterclass in both writing and performance. 

A bravura performance Bathurst not only holds us rapt in Bernard’s anecdotes but also pulls off a masterful pub game with a raw egg and stages a cat race (with toy cats of course) on the pub’s floor! As Bernard’s observations on alcohol, gambling and journalism are seasoned with wry perspicacity, so director James Hillier has fashioned an unconventional drama, exquisitely performed.

Runs until 26th February

Photo credit: Tom Howard