Humble Boy( Orange Tree Theatre)

I've directed it...

The cast was looking good until I got to the very generic Belinda Lang. Really don't see her as a Flora.

From their blurb:

My husband is dead and my only son, who has grown fat and strange, has just run away from his own Father’s funeral. I’ll be fine. Fine. At least those bastard bees are gone.

Felix Humble is drawn back to his family home after the death of his father, a biology teacher and amateur beekeeper. There in the garden he finds his waspish mother Flora, her downtrodden friend Mercy and suspiciously ever-present local businessman George Pye, whose daughter Rosie was once involved with Felix. A luncheon is arranged…

Felix is an astrophysicist who discovers that solving the riddle of his emotional life is considerably more challenging than the quest for a unified string theory.

Charlotte Jones’ witty family comedy won the Critics’ Circle Best New Play Award following its premiere at the National Theatre in 2001.

www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/humble-boy

Having seen the original production in 2001 and not retained a strong impression either way (ie unlike with some plays/productions when I think "never again" or "yes, after a few years"), I wasn't planning to see this. But then FOMO seized me so I have booked for a weekday matinee, as it's looking quite long.

I'm surprised by oxfordsimon's comment about Belinda Lang as whilst I too think of her as simply a standard, familiar name who crops up quite a lot and who seems fairly all-purpose for female roles of a certain age - which I suppose is indeed another way of saying "generic" - I hadn't seen that as a bad thing. However, as I recall nothing of the original and therefore have no views about any particular part, I shall wait to see what Paul Miller does with his revival. No doubt he will wish to apply one of his trademark quirks so I hope it's not too irritating.

Belinda Lang does few favours to whatever she is in (am still shuddering at the memory of her in both THE SECRET RAPTURE and HAY FEVER) -- and she was sacrily bad in OKLAHOMA! last summer at the Proms. Shame.

yes, Hodge would be super. better, in fact, than Dame D was originally since her supposed grandeur is so phony and offputting

Just seen my first online review of this production: 4 stars. Don't know if they've actually had press night yet but I'm going anyway.

I've always loved this play, especially for that dinner party scene.

I can't remember anything about it apart from a vague recollection of the set, so will in effect be coming fresh to this revival and have now seen one review saying it's better than the original, star-laden production. (How do people remember things from so long ago?!)

This was quite enjoyable in a “nice to pass a few hours” sort of way. The acting was very good and it made decent use of the playing space. I don’t recall Belinda Lang’s character Flora being quite so dislikeable, but there was some redemption at the end. Jonathan Broadbent was very good. Having seen the play back in 2001, I think I enjoyed it more then. The writing is still sharp, but a bit too “clever clever” with the bee references throughout in speeches, and astrophysics rather thrown in for no real effect other than to demonstrate how out of touch with the “real” world Felix is. The lunch party scene is still strong, and Selina Cadell does well (but is no where near as funny as Marcia Warren in the original). The Hamlet references though do work well I think. A decent production. On a side note, this very much appeals to the “typical” Richmond audience - not a single ethnic minority in the audience (other than myself). I am not necessarily saying this as a criticism, just an observation as usually the Orange Tree has more mixed audiences.

Showgirl - I think I found Christopher Ravencroft’s character the gentlest, most subtle and laid back of the bunch. Not creepy at all to me.. just out of interest what was creepy about him? 

Have they left in the (not unkind) joke about Stephen Hawking?

Glad you liked it, Phantom of London, though quite surprised you were able to get a seat at what sounds like fairly short notice, as it has sold well.

However - and I hope you won't be disappointed - I think Pressure is by far the more satisfying and memorable play, so your evening may end on an even higher note - or score.

Not sure about Jonathan Broadbent in this tbh. Loved him in REG, but in this he seemed to be doing his best Simon Russelll Beale impression, maybe understandably, rather than giving his own take on the character. Plus he was slightly one-note throughout. Understood that the character is mourning, but still...Wanted more light and shade from him.

I was looking forward to this, having wonderful memories of being in it some years ago.

Firstly, someone needs to put Richmond somewhere else.

Secondly, to the thieving git who crashed into me at the ticket barriers at West Hampstead when my Oyster card did the old 'seek assistance' thing and still had the audacity to push me through and take a free ride when it did work, I can only hope that when you walked past the Lake Erie sized puddle outside the station, a ten tonne truck drove through and soaked you down to your undercrackers.

Thirdly, they should invent a new category of ticket - 'No View Whatsoever' would describe very nicely where we were sitting. I wouldn't mind (well, I would) but I chose (badly as it turned out) from the whole of the upstairs when I booked (nothing mentioned about restricted view) and the only way to see anything was to move the chairs right up to the railings, squashing our legs (and when have you ever heard me moan about leg room?) and hang over the edge. Also, those who complain about the Nash building should take a look at the Orange Tree. Ok, not purpose built, but still.

So I'll start with the negative, seeing as I'm in a bad mood having recounted the above. Jonathan Broadbent. What an uninspired performance. Despite knowing the play well I found my mind wandering when he was on. At one point I spotted no less than 5 audience members fast asleep and when I got bored of counting them and placing bets as to which would be the first to end up on the shoulder of the person next to them, I became fixated on the hideous shoeage in the front row. I didn't think there was any chemistry between him and Rebekah Hinds and their scenes bored me rigid. 

I don't even know where to start with Paul Bradley. Three accents in one sentence is some talent! He was, I think, trying to do a west country burr. Occasionally he did. Very occasionally. But when he shouted it was pure London. And then, sometimes, a totally generic 'northern' accent came out. He was dire. He did the buffooning around well enough and that was it. For me he was the creepy one, not Christopher Ravenscroft, who I really liked and who had one of those old theatrically trained, effortlessly projected voices. He was perfect.

I, along with others, raised a metaphorical eyebrow at Belinda Lang's casting. Well, I really liked her, particularly in the first scene where she came on and totally showed us what she was all about, what her relationship with her son was like and her superior, bullying attitude towards her 'friend' and neighbour, Mercy. In the final scene

I loved Selina Cadell's interpretation of Mercy. She had a difficult job playing so close to the audience as it would have been easy to have gone right over the top. Apart from some excessive head-waggling she managed to avoid this and played it in quite an understated way. Her timing on her one-liners was sublime (yes, of course they kept the Stephen Hawking bit in) and she held the audience the best. Her big speech was wonderful, though didn't get a round of applause afterwards, unlike *ahem* other people in the role.

All in all we enjoyed it, mainly because of those three really good performances. 3 stars.