1,004 posts
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Post by David J on Mar 2, 2016 13:22:14 GMT
This is an emotional play in the second act.
The first half is a bit dry. The play establishes C.S. Lewis residing in Oxford, giving a lecture on whether God loves us. We watch his University chums espouse their intellect on subjects like the way men are intellectual and women are emotional. And then when Lewis meets Joy Gresham we watch them slowly relate with their interests in literature.
The play gets off to a slow start, and given how reserved Lewis is portrayed here its a while before you see a deep-seated longing for each other.
But when the play gets round to Gresham's cancer in the second act it does become a heart-breaking experience. Stephen Boxer gives an outstanding performance as we see him breaking down, questioning his beliefs, and opening his heart to Joy, played resolutely by Amanda Ryan. I also loved the reserved but brotherly relationship between CS Lewis and Tony Slattery as Major W.H. Lewis
The references to Narnia are beautifully magical.
As I say the first half is slow, but the second half is worth it
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4 posts
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Post by mariette on Jul 31, 2016 13:17:05 GMT
I saw Shadowlands during the last week of the tour, at Richmond Theatre.
I thought it was beautifully acted by the cast, with Stephen Boxer giving an exceptionally wonderful performance as C S Lewis... a buttoned-up English university don gradually falling in love with Joy Gresham, an American lady leading a rather difficult life with an alcoholic husband, who found solace in reading Lewis's books, and who started a correspondence with him, eventually travelling to England with her young son in the hope of meeting Lewis. Amanda Ryan was sweet and funny as the rather zany (but highly intelligent)lady who gradually became so important to Lewis. Eventually they married, initially so that Joy could stay in England, but then discovering a deep love for each other. Amanda's scenes in a hospital bed, then gradually declining in health until her death, were very moving, as was Stephen Boxer when portraying his loss and grief.
I enjoyed the play very much indeed, as I have with the other Birdsong productions... Birdsong and Flare Path.
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3,474 posts
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Post by showgirl on Jul 31, 2016 13:29:07 GMT
I also saw and enjoyed this in Richmond last week and endorse all the above comments. It felt as though I had waited a long time to see this production, as I think this was the last week of a longish tour and I'd booked months earlier, but it was well worth the wait and lived up to my expectations. The only disappointment was noting nearer the time that it wasn't selling well at Richmond, and that there were some really cheap deals on offer, as I felt it deserved to be so much more popular.
The whole cast was great apart from, imho, the fact that the young son was very obviously played by a girl - could they really not have found a boy, or at least a girl who looked more androgynous?
I'd seen the film years ago and could remember only the basics of the story, but I am a huge fan of William Nicholson's novels and screenplays and this play proved that he is equally good as a dramatist.
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587 posts
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Post by Polly1 on Jul 31, 2016 18:29:49 GMT
I saw this twice, at the New Wolsey (Ipswich) in February and the Mercury (Colchester) in July and thought it was a wonderful production. A real old fashioned length-and-breadth of the country 6-month tour. Stephen Boxer and Amanda Ryan did a huge amount of publicity, such a shame it didn't sell better (it was heavily discounted at Colchester but consequently quite well attended). I think it was too long a tour to get an under-16 boy in to play Douglas and too big a part to get someone in from each venue. I thought Shannon Rewcroft did well once you were over the initial shock. Congrats to all involved. Time for a revival for Katherine Howard or Map of the Heart?
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184 posts
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Post by argon on Jul 31, 2016 19:45:19 GMT
I found this entertaining & well acted even though the American accents on display sounded a tad stilted.
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3,474 posts
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Post by showgirl on Aug 1, 2016 5:09:18 GMT
Interesting, Polly1, that you mention "a huge amount of publicity", as whilst I read many favourable reviews from the tour, I was aware of absolutely no other publicity. Obviously it didn't matter in my case, both because I routinely seek out theatre news/reviews/tour info, and because I decided early to go anyway, but I wonder what form this publicity took?
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587 posts
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Post by Polly1 on Aug 1, 2016 8:05:31 GMT
Interesting, Polly1, that you mention "a huge amount of publicity", as whilst I read many favourable reviews from the tour, I was aware of absolutely no other publicity. Obviously it didn't matter in my case, both because I routinely seek out theatre news/reviews/tour info, and because I decided early to go anyway, but I wonder what form this publicity took? Well, from following the tour's twitter feed, it seemed like one or other of them did an interview on local radio AND with a local paper at every stop. But maybe this is usual, I don't know? Also 'argon', I thought that Amanda Ryan's American accent was brilliant! Much better than Janie Dee in the last London production. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 9:12:52 GMT
I reviewed it while it was in Cardiff, but aside from the press releases I got sent and the standard brochure of the New where it was I saw/heard next to nothing-which was a shame as it was very empty when I saw it. Although it's not the best thing I've seen this year it's a shame it didn't get as much promotion everywhere as it would have been nice to see a bigger audience in.
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