Joy Watters thinks the production at The Byre has a performance that captures the humour, sadness and wisdom of its lead character.
The Byre, in conjunction with Quixotic Productions, overcame all odds to get this show on the stage. The actress due to play the title role had to pull out a few days before it opened and Irene Allan bravely stepped in to don Shirley’s mantle.
All power to Allan who made a fine job of it, having learned the first act then reading the rest. She threw herself into it despite the inherent difficulties, with a real feeling for the humour, the sadness and the inherent wisdom of the character.
It is of course no mean feat since Shirley is a one-woman show, a three-act monologue charting our heroine’s voyage of self-discovery.
A 42-year-old working class Liverpool housewife, trapped by her mundane life, Shirley is offered the chance to fly away on a Greek holiday. After lots of self-doubt and mind-changing, she goes for it, leaving behind her mind-numbing existence and emotionally bankrupt husband. She exchanges a claustrophobic kitchen where communication consists of talking to the wall for a land of possibilities.
Willy Russell’s hilarious and poignant work may be nearly 30 years old now but it still has a lot to say with its keen observation of a woman’s lot. Evergreen too in its portrayal of the treatment of a single woman on a package holiday, for our Shirl is dumped by her mate for a bloke right from the start.
Shirley enjoys a holiday romance, keeping it in perspective, as part of her voyage of self-discovery. Her new found strength leads her to remain in Greece when she should be on the plane home. The future is unknown.
There were a few understandable wobbles along the way, but Allan and director Rita Henderson are to be congratulated for making the most out of the situation.
Shirley Valentine performs at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews until August 8.
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