Synopsis The play centres around the Hotel Beauregard, a typical small south coast establishment. It is a refuge for the elderly, the lonely and somewhat eccentric. Here the long term residents interact with each other and with the occasional short term visitors. Supported by the Separate Tables Commissioning Circle
Watching Separate Tables it’s easy to see why Terrence Rattigan fell out of fashion after the “angry young man” wave. The dissection of upper-class pretensions didn’t sit easily with the new generation of theatregoers and his plays became regarded as museum pieces.
However, there seems to be something of a revival of interest in Rattigan right now and, again, it’s easy to see why. Here’s a master playwright at work and Philip Franks’ Chichester production clearly demonstrates why Rattigan was a revered playwright for so long.
Separate Tables (in reality, two one-act plays), is set in a Bournemouth hotel in the early 50s. Most of the characters are in both plays, only the lead protagonists change. In the first play, a glamorous model comes to the hotel seeking her first husband, a hard-drinking former Labour MP. In the second play, the other residents discover one of the guests, an ex-army officer, has pleaded guilty to soliciting young men and convene a kangaroo court to establish whether he should leave - this is a departure from the original as the Lord Chamberlain would have prevented any reference to homosexuality at that time.
The first act seems a bit creaky at times and does have elements of melodrama that spoil the mood but the second act is a perfect psychological study of guilt, oppression and family relationships.
Both plays deal with the themes of repression, both make much of class distinctions and both feature outsiders who appear to be different from the norm. But as the hotel manager, Pat Cooper (a marvellously understated performance by Deborah Findlay asks “What is normal anyway?” Rattigan’s genius is to hint at deeper secrets in all the characters: the retired schoolmaster longing for visits from former boys and the elderly spinster with the penchant for racing could, one feels, equally be the subject of plays.
The whole cast perform flawlessly - this is a masterclass in ensemble acting. As the drunken red and shamed major, Iain Glen has the meatiest parts and while his northern accent wobbles a bit in the first, the latter is spot-on, the hearty manner masking his most shameful secret. Gina McKee is almost unrecognisable as the repressed spinster with a secret love for the major and is excellent as the glacial model.
Stephanie Cole is suitably monstrous as the overbearing Mrs Railton-Bell, a woman whose nose for gossip is the equal of any Fleet Street hack. There are good performances all round though; from John Nettleton’s fusty schoolteacher to Lia Rogers’ perky maid. Stephen Brimson Lewis’ excellent set captures all the trappings of middle-class life, the “chintzy, chintzy cheeriness” as Betjeman called it.
Although this play captures the mood of a particular time, it’s not really outmoded, The themes of guilt, loneliness and repressed desire are with us still. Rattigan is a master dissector of emotions and this Chichester production is a superb chance to see the work of a craftsman at his best.
I saw this show on Oct 1st. I overheard patrons of The Chichester Festival (which runs sometimes on two stages, March through October) say that this was the best production of the year. As I was only able to see one other production of the Festival, I can't make that sweeping comment. But I will say it's one of the best shows I've seen in a very long time. There has been much said of Terrence Rattigan & his brilliance. He was a magnificent observer of people. He captures the soul of the characters and presents them with startling & painful reality. This production would have made him very proud. A perfectly chosen ensemble for a cast. Each adding their own nuances and layers to the story. But the leads, Iain Glen and Gina McKee are brilliant. They are as dazzling in the first act as they are heart-wrenching in the second. They absolutely sizzle as the long divorced couple. She stalks him to this Bournemouth hotel. You can almost see the electricity crackling between them. He, the once promising Labour MP ruined by a desperate act elicited by her ice queen 'look but don't touch' demand. She, a fading fashion model, another failed marriage in her wake, now desperately alone. They are both broken shells of their former selves. By the time their whole story emerges you care deeply about "what happens now" to these two damaged souls. The second act is just as powerful. As noted above this is actually two one act plays with only the lead characters completely reinventing themselves as new characters, for the second act. I don't know if this how Rattigan meant it to be played but in this case, it is a stroke of genius. Though I'm not sure that there are many actors who could so convincingly morph into these diametrically opposed characters. He has now aged about 10-15 years and his loose limbed almost predatory swagger is replaced by a mincing, straight backed stride with every movement carefully choreographed to uphold his facade. He is now the "Major" who has lived there for sometime as an ex-Black Watch... or was it Highland Regiment member? McKee, as Sybil, has regressed by seven years & is the homely, fearful, spinster; the adult daughter, forever locked in childhood and illness by her domineering mother, Mrs Railton-Bell (wonderfully personified by Stephanie Cole). Mrs RB is the self-proclaimed leader of this motley crew of residents. Sybil has developed a friendship with the major. Perhaps for the first time in her life she has found someone interested in who she is and who treats her as an adult. Perhaps it is because he recognizes a part of himself in the repressed and fearful Sybil. Both are afraid of living, both are afraid of exposing or even confronting who they really are. In the first act Glen’s character “never lies” and in the second, his entire life is a lie. It is the manageress, Pat Cooper (Deborah Findley in a pitch perfect performance) that brings forth the truths in each act and who knits the two halves together. It is her intervention that makes you dare to hope that somehow, there will be healing. At first glance, each act is about completely different things. But they are in fact about the same things. Glen and McKee are so believable that they make you physically feel their pain of loss, rejection, loneliness, despair and soul wrenching fear. They pull you in and hold you spellbound...afraid to watch and at the same time afraid to look away. Bravo to all involved. If you think the only place to see great theatre is London or New York. Think again.
- K M Cavouti
See also Minerva Studio. [Each summer a musical beats at the heart of the Festival, surrounded by world premieres as well as brand-new productions of classic dramas and comedies, all of the highest quality. Set in the beautiful surroundings of Oaklands Park, Chichester Festival Theatre is one of the UK's flagship theatres and has an enviable reputation for excellence. Four of Festival 2010?s ten productions went on to have lives beyond Chichester, touring nationally and/or transferring to the West End. Artistic Director: Jonathan Church Executive Director: Alan Finch
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