It’s an excellent plot and has a great, fast-paced, pithy script to go with it. Under Terry Darby’s direction, it is elevated to another level entirely, with every scene bringing fresh humour while remaining relatable, rather than over the top.
All seven actors are well cast and they deliver their lines not only faultlessly, but with an energy and freshness that makes it truly feel conversational rather than like the delivery of scripted words. There isn’t a weak moment throughout, - in fact, the only problem at times is hearing the actors speak their next line over the loud laughter the previous lines demanded from the audience.
Lynda West is the guardian angel you never knew you wanted, but having seen her characterisation of a seraph who is cherubic and more ditsy, you will never settle for anything else in the future. Terry made a great call in this casting decision, and Lynda brought a whole new level of humour to the play, with brilliant deadpan delivery at times.
Cat and Chris are nicely matched on stage, and their comic timing as they bickered was perfect. Both leaned fully into their roles, as did Rhiannon and Harsh. Some of the best acting occurred when all four weren’t only on stage together, but engaged in fairly quick-fire cross-conversations where Simon and Flic bicker or talk at the same time as Jack and Susie do, the difference being Jack and Susie can hear and see Simon and Flic but Simon and Flic, of course, can’t see Jack or Susie. It takes a very talented actor to carry off having fast-paced dialogue crossing over like this, let alone four, so kudos to all involved. It’s only thanks to the skill of the four actors that the scenes were not only believable, but also incredibly entertaining and funny.
Michael as the straight-laced estate agent and Gillian as the monstrous mother-in-law also showed their acting chops in this play. Again, there were some great moments as Michael has to pretend not to see Jack or Susie, but react to their antics, and he carries this off brilliantly. Gillian was great fun to watch, bringing a wonderfully snobbish, materialistic and incredibly antagonistic mother-in-law to life, making her later scenes even funnier than they would have been otherwise.
The actors on stage were given a nicely designed cottage thanks to the thoughtful set design, with plenty of clear areas for actors to move between, and the cottage is so precisely designed you could picture exactly where the kitchen or bedroom were, even though you never saw either of them. Sound, lighting and props were also nicely done, with plenty of detail, even in the theatre foyer. The members of the wardrobe department are certainly stars of this show as well, with every detail thought of. While the guardian angel costume was perhaps the standout star, there was plenty of competition for that accolade, and Susie’s “what do you choose to wear for eternity when only given five minutes” was a close second.
This play is certainly one that will lift your spirits, while making you think as much as you laugh.
The Details:
What: Spirit Level by Pam Valentine, directed by Terry Darby
When: July 25 - August 5
Where: New Plymouth Repertory, 14 Broadmore Street, New Plymouth
Details: Tickets via trybooking.com
