In 2013 I was absolutely blown away by Thom Southerland’s dazzling chamber version of the musical Titanic. However his Grand Hotel last year was a disappointment. I was therefore hoping he would be back on form with the UK premiere of the cult Broadway musical Grey Gardens. Sadly this is a weakly cast, and sloppily directed production of a show that is desperate for both real star wattage and clever direction if it is going to succeed.‘Grey Gardens’ is based on an infamous documentary from the 1970’s that tells the true story of Jacqueline Kennedy’s aunt Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Little Edie. Wealthy socialites who by the mid-1970’s were living in squalor in an East Hampton estate called Grey Gardens, full of garbage and hundreds of feral cats. Act One, a flashback set in the 1940’s, revolves around Little Edie’s upcoming engagement to Joe Kennedy, Jr which is ultimately called off as a result of her mother’s actions. Act Two, which includes scenes from the famous documentary, doesn’t really have a plot but is rather a series of moments and moods highlighting the life of these two sad woman and their co-dependent relationship.
As Edith in Act One and then Little Edie in Act Two, Jenna Russell has the challenging task of portraying a character who has become a camp classic. She tries her best and does manage to get Little Edie’s voice and mannerisms just about right. However her singing is surprisingly weak and she lacks the magical comic timing of Christine Ebersole who won the Tony for her portrayal of these two characters. Sheila Hancock, as the old Edith, sings well but fails to explore the nastier elements of the character. Most disappointing however was Rachel Ann Rayham as the young Little Edie in Act One whose voice and physicality seemed at odds with the role.
The dilapidated East Hampton mansion set by Thom Rogers is impressive at first glance. However I strongly disagree with both his and Southerland’s decision to have the glamorous, 1940’s Act One played on the same set as the Act Two run down mansion. I understand that money is an issue on the fringe but surely they could have come up with a more creative solution. In addition there was a lot of wasted space at the back of the stage that was not used. This resulted in a very cramped playing area down front and the actors constantly walking awkwardly just inches away from the audience and almost stepping on their toes. In addition the costumes for Act One looked cheap and ill fitting and did not evoke the necessary glamour to suggest Grey Gardens before the fall.
While I applaud Southerland and the team at Southwark for putting on shows that don’t appear to be commercially viable in the West End it is ultimately frustrating to see a show being let down by the economics of the fringe. It may not be the perfect show, Act Two is a bit weird and doesn’t really go anywhere,but I still think it deserves a classy production with a cast that possesses the style and grace to make this unusual musical work.
Guys and Dolls has triumphantly transferred from Chichester to the Savoy Theatre.