Driving
Miss Daisy is a story about the complex relationship between an elderly
Jewish woman and the chauffeur imposed on her by her son to look after her. Although
they start in fairly tempestuous fashion, over the years they spend together
they come to rely on each other for more than just the physical needs of money
and a means of popping down to the Piggly Wiggly.
Written by Uhry in 1987 it was hugely
successful on Broadway and was quickly adapted into a motion picture where it
took on even more success, in no small part thanks to the contribution by a
certain Morgan Freeman. I don’t know, you may have heard of him… The story of
companionship, trust, humour and love has gone down as one of the great stories
of the century and rightly so. Here, after a hugely successful stint on Broadway
and ahead of a National US Tour, the West End stage is graced by the presence
of theatrical royalty showing the rest of us how it’s done.
Straight to the quick of it: James Earl
Jones is the main attraction of this production (aside from being both Mufasa
and Darth Vader he has won over sixteen – yes, sixteen – awards for his acting
in America as well as being honoured with a series of Lifetime Achievement
Awards). Often when you hear stories of a ‘brilliant’ actor you take them with
a pinch of salt or go in with such high expectations that you can’t avoid being
let down. Not so with James Earl Jones. Esbjornson understands the presence
that he brings to the stage and from the opening where he just sits waiting
while Gaines and Lee had a kerfuffle on the other side of the stage he is the
center of attention. His performance was faultless. That’s right, after having
said that you must take such statements with a pinch of salt I’m saying he was
faultless. Not only was he faultless he was powerful and compelling, funny and
moving from moment to moment.
The passage of time during the events of
the play are taken naturally in his stride and the humour in the script seems
as if it’s all his own. He was as naturally Hoke Colburn as Hoke Colburn could
be himself, if he was a real person for more than the hour and a half we’re
given.
Vanessa Redgrave was lamentably
indisposed when I had the good fortune of securing a front row seat and her
understudy, Jenny Lee, stepped into the role admirably, though perhaps the
transfer wasn’t as seamless as it could have been. A few times she cut off
others’ lines with her own and although her performance was otherwise brilliant
these slips were unmistakable. Her relationships with both her comrades were
nuanced and natural and she really brought a the underlying emotions of the
play to vibrant life on stage with a mixture of drama and humour that endeared
you to her as much as it frustrated you at times.
Boyd Gaines is also undeniably
outstanding. His history speaks for itself but on the stage here he once again
proves himself. Transforming more from beginning to end he takes physical
changes and implements subtle changes in his physical acting as well, better
illustrating the amount of years that are passing. He characterises the position of the caring son very well indeed and also gives a great position to observe the growing relationship between his mother and Hoke.
David Esbjornson’s direction is
faultless. The set he uses is simple and with minor and efficiently executed
set changes and alterations it becomes a host of different places, the pride of
which being forged mainly in the ‘car’ (a bench, a chair and a steering wheel).
The poignancy of the script was allowed to play the major role as the
production itself is understated and refined.
The one element that stands out is the
series of projections that are used throughout the show. Now, I am of the
opinion that if you’re using such devices they have to be fully justified and
done well. Thankfully, Esbjornson ticks both boxes emphatically. The subtle
changes in the projection serve to either change the location slightly or to
keep people up to speed with the rapidly passing time by projecting images of
influential people such as Martin Luther King Jr. onto the back of the stage so
that they don’t interfere at all with the physical world of the play.
The whole show has a sense of the refined
calm that you often feel when you walk through your grandparents’ house, and
not just because of the period of the drama. The mannerisms and character is
the same, the atmostphere being more than the sum of the physical parts and
that is thanks to the unity in direction from Esbjornson between actors, set
and everything else; a perfect example of the balance that defines good
theatre.
The script is magnificent. Regrettably
short, it zips through twenty-odd years of relationship in a brief hour and a
half, stopping at the roadside occasionally for humour and worry, sadness and
tension. It has everything that a good script should and this was evidenced in
the cast clearly reveling in their lines.
Overall, Driving Miss Daisy deserves all the plaudits it has received. The
list of awards and accolades the cast and script have received in their careers
speaks for itself and all come to the fore here. There is nothing but talent on
the stage and there is no reason good enough to not go and see it. Now.
Written by Alfred Uhry; Directed by David Esbjornson; At the Wyndham's Theatre; Starring James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave, Boyd Gaines, Jenny Lee; Runs from 05 October 11 - 17 December 11.
John Ord (12/10/2011)
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