The Chichester Festival Theatre Season has now started in the main theatre. The first production is Hay Fever by Noel Coward. It was written in 1923 in two or three days, inspired by a in New York with Lorette Taylor and her Family. The family behaved appallingly and were blissfully ignorant of their guest. Hence the Bliss family was born about an ageing actress and her self absorbed family.
It is typical Chichester fair. Diana Rigg is much better in this than in the Cherry Orchard last year, but as one reviewer states, she is in theory too old for the part. However she still gives a great performance as the aging actress who now lives in the country and is thinking about a return to the London stage. Her comic timing and facial expression are fantastic. Simon Williams shuffles about the stage as the father self engrossed in his book writing. The surprise for me was Edward Bennett who played a buffoon who idolised Mrs Bliss, was last seen in Hamlet as Hamlet. He was the understudy of David Tennent, who was off with a bad back for most of the run. This part did not stretch him as much.
A very enjoyable evening after a hard days work that did not require too much thought.
[...] http://www.sussexaestheticdentist.co.uk placed an observative post today on Hay FeverHere’s a quick excerptThe Chichester Festival Theatre Season has now started in the main theatre. The first production is Hay Fever by Noel Coward. It was written in 1923 in two or three days, inspired by a in New York with Lorette Taylor and her Family. The family behaved appallingly and were blissfully ignorant of their guest. Hence the Bliss family was born about an ageing actress and her self absorbed family. It is typical Chichester fair. Diana Rigg is much better in this than in the Cherry Orchard last year, [...]