BWW Reviews: Alan Ayckbourn's ABSENT FRIENDS Is A Darkly Humorous Time Capsule Of 1970's Suburban Life

Wednesday 28th January 2015, Glen Street Theatre, Belrose

ABSENT FRIENDS casts a spotlight on the manners and misogyny of the 1970's as five 'friends' gather to welcome back and comfort an old friend on a suburban Saturday afternoon with unexpected outcomes.

With incredible attention to detail, Anna Gardiner (Designer) has created a typical 1970's living room including the prints of Van Gough's sunflowers, wood panel feature walls, textured wallpaper, arched entrances, bead curtains and timber and leather lounge suite. This attention has been carried through with Catherine Capolupo's costumes and Peggy Carter's Hair and Makeup with Marge's purple coat having coordinating strips of patterned material to match her dress, Evelyn's leather skirt and Colin's brown suit.

The set and costumes serve to anchor the performance in the era so the interactions and issues become more understandable. The premise of the story is that Diana (Michelle Doake) has discovered that an old friend, Colin (Darren Gilshenan), who moved away a while ago has recently lost his fiancé to an untimely death. Diana believes that his old friends should cheer Colin and support him in his grieving so invites them all around for afternoon tea. She has slaved over ensuring that everything will be perfect, pre-set the table, worrying that there won't be enough tomato sandwiches and the air is appropriately freshened. Its when the 'friends' are thrown into the mix, that the wheels fall off her plans and the façade crumbles.

In addition to Diana, the middle aged housewife that is striving to maintain an image of perfectly polite middle class whilst struggling with the suspicion of her husband's infidelity, the group of 'friends' comprises Diana's husband Paul (Richard Sydenham), neighbour Marge (Queenie Van De Zandt), Paul's 'friend' John (Brian Meegan) and his younger wife Evelyn (Jessica Sullivan). Marge is closest to Diana and whilst she generally tries to maintain the manners expected of her, her expressions when she is essentially 'holding her tongue' are priceless. Van De Zandt also provides some delightful physical humour as the awkward but generous friend. Sydenham captures the horrible misogynistic nature of Paul, forever treating Diana as an idiot and dripping with condescension in his interaction with anyone else. John is a meek, jittery, feeble man, reliant on Paul for work, and unable to stand up to his disinterested wife. This bizarre group of people that, aside from Diana and Marge, don't really seem to be friends, and couples that all have problems is supposed to comfort Colin. Colin on the other hand comes across as an eternally optimistic person, albeit, the level of Joie de vivre seems to be masking the fact that he hasn't properly dealt with his loss.

ABSENT FRIENDS gives modern audiences the opportunity make comparisons from current social protocols and those that governed behaviour in the 1970s and gives glimpses into the characters desire to move away from these conventions. Afternoon Teas are supposed to be polite affairs where no one offends but Marge confronts Evelyn on her infidelity, Diana realises that she wanted to be doing something more with her life than what her family and friends had told her to do, and Colin talks openly of death. Marge and Diana show struggles between how they know society wants them to behave and what they'd really like to say and do. Evelyn, younger than Marge and Diana, represents the more liberated generation as she scoffs at the magazine article suggests subservience to keep a husband and leaves John to tend the baby. Paul is shocked into assessing his behaviour and attitudes when Diana finally snaps at his dismissive nature and sexist attitude. All 'friends' show the awkwardness of not knowing what to say when faced with difficult issues or when faced with people that they really don't know and aren't really friends with.

This is an amusing study on society and how it has changed (and hasn't), filled with physical humour and clever lines. On the surface it is an entertaining trip down memory lane for older audiences and an insight into a different, but not so far away time for younger audiences, all the while touching on a variety of deeper, darker issues.

ABSENT FRIENDS

Glen Street Theatre, Belrose

28 January - 1 February 2015

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