The Miller Centre Players’ ‘in the round’ production brought an air of intimacy to Willy Russell’s tale of twins who had been separated at birth but who meet and become fatally bonded to each other. This approach, by director Morven Rae, brought the audience closer to the action than in a conventional proscenium arch presentation and we were able to put both the humour and tragedy of Eddie and Mickey’s short lives under the microscope. The large number of entry points available to the actors – via the audience as well as through the wings - were used to good effect, as were the two levels. The only fairly trivial difficulty was that, in the absence of a set, it was necessary to move a small amount of furniture around the acting area from time to time, causing occasional minor breaks in continuity.
The central parts offer irresistible challenges and opportunities for three adults (two men and a woman) to bring out the child in them. The story follows them from the age of seven, through to their mid-20s. Mickey grows up with Mrs Johnston, his natural mother and her unruly brood of feral children. Kevin Hayes brought out his character’s wild side from the time we first meet him as a youngster with a flair for mildly anti-social behaviour. It was a revelation to see him progress, ultimately, to the brooding shop-floor worker who finds that what little he’s achieved has been due to his friend, blood brother and, unbeknown to him, twin. Paul Longhurst was the perfect foil as Eddie, brought up by the wealthy Lyons family – an over-protected, lonely, child eager to break into Mickey’s freer world. He seemed to grow naturally into the college student then Mickey’s boss whilst always wanting to retain their kinship. The development of these two personalities coupled with their changing relationship was brilliantly observed.
Fiona Rae was equally impressive as Linda, the girl who starts out as ‘one of the lads’ but becomes weighed down and old before her time as Mickey’s wife.
Helen Chisnall, the boys’ real mother and Vicky Watkins who adopts Eddie by subterfuge shared some compelling exchanges early on and reappeared to play out their predestined parts in its tragic climax
Martin J Kingston narrated in foreboding style, emphasised by his all-black appearance and enhanced by a subtle echo.
Apart from the early song, taken from the musical version, in which Mrs Johnston reminisces about her supposed likeness to Marilyn Monroe, all the music was original, composed and played by Ian Rae.
This production was a theatrical gem with few flaws.
Tony Flook
Five stars (out of five)
The musical version of Willy Russell’s play took the West End by storm. This production of the play does the same for the Miller Centre audience.
Director Morven Rae has gathered the cream of amateur actors about her to tell the tale of the twins, separated at birth, whose lives re-connect in spite of every adult effort to stop them meeting.
Moving from childhood to young adulthood, twins Eddie and Mickey reversed their years with skill.
Mickey has remained with his hard-up mother, given down-to-earth bluntness mixed with yearning by Helen Chisnall.
We meet Mickey, aged seven, as Kevin Hayes bursts upon the drama shooting his way through a cowboys and Indians chase.
Scruffy, his knee scraped and wearing a wonderful hand-me-down jumper, he is fearless and out to conquer the world.
Eddie, growing up with money, is the polite school boy, yet Paul Longhurst created a child longing to be as abandoned as the friend he was making.
The two actors were in no way alike, yet their powerful ability to convey the boys’ bonding makes them believable twins.
Vicky Watkins is the frightened obsessive Mrs Lyons, Eddie’s ‘mother’.
Growing slowly from normality through to the mental problems which bear such tragic results, her longing to have and hold her child were visible.
The play, set here in the round, is narrated by Martin J Kingston with an echo to his voice as he weaves the tale.
It is further enhanced by members of the cast who appear in the many minor role, from ‘children’ to workers, to the police.
Linda is the childhood sweetheart of both the boys and Fiona Rae contrasts well the carefree child with the careworn adult.
Memorable moments include Mickey’s poem as he yearns to be eight, the will he, wont he kiss me as Mickey and Linda play truant from school and the mechanical factory floor where Mickey works and Eddie is the Management.
The whole play is underscored by original music composed and played by Ian Rae and everyone concerned in this production is to be congratulated on an absorbing , challenging evening where drama is given full reign.
Theo Spring
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