British playwright’s 2012 play has a back to front title however do not be misled by this. HOME I’M DARLING is a super clever, well put together play constructed play featuring plenty of zingy one liners.
The play starts shifts between time periods, literally and symbolically. Judy, the main character, has taken a redundancy package and has, with her husband’s acquiescence, chosen to become a house proud housewife, with a twist to it. She is taking her and her husband way back in time, to the 1950’s. She has transformed their house into a quintessential 195o’s home, and she becomes the dutiful hausfrau, apron in hand and with the oven heating up for dinner. Out of this left field scenario, and with many complications, Wade builds a highly entertaining dramedy.
Amelia Conway gives a very appealing performance as Judy. Yes, it is the best role in the play, but with plenty of challenges, playing an eccentric, oddball woman committed to ‘retreating’ to simpler times, or are they?
Daniel Ferris, (I had to get past his unfortunate resemblance to troubled former Australian cricket great Michael Slater), plays her mild mannered, even tempered husband Jonny who becomes increasingly exasperated by his wife’s cloying behaviour.
Even more exasperated is Judy’s mother Sylvia who attempts to get her daughter to come back to reality with little luck. Maxine Appel Cohen gives a good performance in the role, and truly lands her speech to Judy when she tells her daughter off for romanticising the fifties when she wasn’t even alive at the time!
Judy and Jonny’s best friends are another couple, Fran and Marcus. They are flummoxed when their friends tell them that they won’t be joining them at an upcoming retro event.
Cassandra Gorman plays the rather conservative Fran whilst David Eisenhauer goes to town playing the comically sleazy Marcus.
Vanessa Merewether displays good acting chops in the role of Jonny’s new boss, Alex. In a comic scene involving Alex, there is a reveal that shows that Judy isn’t the only fantasist in the house!
Director Joy Sweeney’s love for the show, ‘this play is a gem’, shines through. Sweeney herself designed a well conceived period set and some lovely period costumes that drew some ‘ahs’ from the audience. Mike Brew and Kobe McWilliam lit the stage well, and the sound design featured the team of Geoff Young and Charlotte Wiltshire’s. There was one scene where I did feel that the sound cue was too loud.
In her program note, Sweeney made special mention of her Stage Manager Kate Kelly who was thanked for managing so capably the job of dealing with the 8 pages of props, 9 costume changes and the serving, by the cast of-course, of entree food and drinks. No small feat!
Sweeney is right, this is a gem of a play. Like any good play, there is stuff to ponder. Not all of us are career focused. Some of us prefer the quiet home life. These choices aren’t gender specific, and open to all of us.
A kooky, provocative play, Laura Wade’s HOME I’M DARLING is playing the Theatre on Chester, corner of Chester and Oxford streets, Epping until the 17th August 2024.
Bookings www.theatreonchester.com.au or ph 98770081. Tickets are $35 per adult ad $30 per concession. Group Bookings available for ten or more.
