Review: BORN YESTERDAY at Goodwood Theatre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Saturday 28th April 2018.

Set in Washington in 1946, Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday tells the story of war profiteer, Harry Brock, who has bribed a Senator, Norvel Hedges, to introduce legislation that will get the government to turn a blind eye to his crooked dealings. His cousin, Eddie Brock, is his general factotum. Harry also has a long-term lover, Billie Dawn, an uneducated ex-showgirl, and there is concern that she will not fit in with his new acquaintances and associates after the Senator and his wife, Anna Hedges, make a brief and rather awkward visit. His crooked, alcoholic lawyer, Ed Devery, introduces Harry to Paul Verrell, a reporter who has come for an interview and Harry hits on the idea of hiring Paul to educate Billie, but the results are not to Harry's liking, after all, and his devious plans go badly awry.

Director, Rob Croser, has assembled the cast with his usual care and applied his acute attention to detail in this production. You might even recognise people of today in these characters of yesteryear, thanks to his insight.

Stuart Pearce plays the boorish and violent thug, Harry Brock, the dark side of this comedy. Pearce has enormous stage presence and this is a major asset in his performance, as his overbearing character runs roughshod over everybody. At the same time, though, Harry is a figure of fun, foolish enough to think that his money alone will get him where he wants to go. Pearce finds that humour in the character that provides light against the shadiness of Harry.

Billie Dawn is played by Madeleine Herd who shines as the loud, brash and ignorant girlfriend who, when challenged by Paul, applies herself to reading and studying in the manner of Pygmalion. Herd handles Billie's growth with subtlety, showing a gradual movement away from Harry and his life into being her own person.

Jonathan Johnston plays Paul Verrell, an honest journalist (remember them?) and mentor to Billie, the 'nice guy' in the play and, in his interpretation, by far the cleverest one. Johnston gives every indication that Paul is always a step or two ahead of Harry and his machinations, whilst building a great rapport with Herd as Billie.

Harry's lawyer, Ed Devery, is played by David Roach, who presents his character as a heavy drinker, and shows his experience as an actor in the way in which he displays that alcoholism, without exaggerated physicality of drunkenness. This is another carefully considered performance from Roach.

As the Senator, David Rapkin gives his character the gravitas needed in the role and, as the play progresses, he shows us that his character is realising how far out of his depth he has found himself and how impotent he is in trying to introduce the legislation and sway Congress. Rapkin has his Senator clearly suffering an increasing level of regret at taking Harry's bribe.

The long-suffering cousin, Eddie Brock, is played by Greg Janzow, who has his character bowed, physically and mentally, and jumping at every command that Harry snaps at him, cringing at Harry's crassness. Bronwyn Ruciak, as Anna Hedges, is every bit a Senator's wife, making her character elegant and sophisticated. Her reactions to Harry and Billie are priceless. Thomas Tessema and Jenna Bezuidenhout, as members of the hotel staff, get everything that they can out of their brief roles.

Croser and Roach designed the impressive art deco set, the Presidential Suite at the Hotel Statler, lit effectively by Bob Weatherly. Independent Theatre can always be relied upon for high standards in the sets, as well as other areas of the creative side of a production.

Sandra Davis costumed the work, and dressing Billie alone would have been a big job, as every entrance found her in a different costume, every one looking a million dollars. Herd was not the only one to have stunning costumes, though, as Ruciak wore a very stylish dress which, much to her pleasant surprise, just happened to have been made for a past production by my guest that evening, aspiring theatrical costumier, Isabelle Zengerer.

If buying a politician, or even an entire government, sounds familiar, it probably should, but, at that time, so we are told in the play, Senator Norvel Hedges was an exception to the many honest and hardworking men and women in the government. Let Independent Theatre take you back to a simpler time of black and white ethics, long before the myriad shades of grey of today, in this clever comedy of dubious morals. Book soon, though, before it is too late.

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