NOW IS GOOD
Written & composed by Tim Firth
Directed by Joyce Branagh
Chester Storyhouse til 28 May
Review by Brian Gorman
From the writer of the hugely successful and beloved
Calendar Girls, comes this gentle, feelgood comedy musical. Premiered at Firth’s
local professional theatre, Chester’s impressive Storyhouse.
For a life-long cynic like me, this unashamedly
sentimental yarn could have made for a night of relentless cringing and
grimacing. Thankfully, the sheer positive energy in Firth’s writing, combined
with the lightness of touch from director Joyce Branagh, made this a real
audience pleaser that is virtually critic proof. Inspired by Firth’s late father,
Gordon, ‘Now Is Good’ is the story of a father and son who are working together
to transform a derelict bank into a home. Jeff Rawle (best known for playing
the title role of Billy Liar, in the 1970s tv comedy series) plays the widowed
father, and retired builder, Ray. This dishevelled, permanently optimistic
character is a human reminder of the much-loved Wombles of Wimbledon Common, as
he collects all manner of rubbish from the local council tip, seeking to recycle
it into something useful. His son, Neil (Chris Hannon) is a perfect comic foil,
constantly exasperated by his father’s recklessness when it comes to issues of
personal and workplace safety. Hannon is excellent as the hapless Health and
Safety officer, and reminded me of a younger Lee Mack, with superb comic timing
matched with some wonderfully deadpan reactions to the chaos around him. Their
work is regularly interrupted by a variety of colourful, well-rounded
characters, each representing different facets of human nature, all encouraged
by Ray to drop in any time for a natter, a cup of tea, and a fig roll. Alice
(Elizabeth Counsell) is a cheery, lovable soul, zipping around in her hi-tech
motorised chair, and taking delight in her interaction with the do-gooding Ray,
and a visiting group of schoolchildren. Her complete contrast arrives in the
form of the ever grumpy, fault-finding energy vampire, Ivy (Michele Dotrice).
Then there is Ted (Maxwell Hutcheon), a polite, well-dressed old gent, happy to
be carried along by whatever tide takes him. These lonely pensioners are united
in their various ailments and family woes, not to mention the ongoing struggle
with modern technology. Completing the cast is the livewire Alyce Liburd as an
irrepressibly perky primary school teacher, trying hard to encourage her young
pupils to think for themselves, and not simply be moulded by the system. The
message is simple, here: enjoy life. Enjoy your time. Don’t waste time
complaining. All we have is the present, and now is good.
There are more songs in this production than I
expected. It’s jammed with them, and spoken dialogue is rare. Firth’s
compositions are all very catchy, light, and cheery, and played by a live eight
strong orchestra. Unfortunately, the musicians are all well-hidden under the
stage, with only the occasional fleeting glimpse of the conductor’s scalp
popping up from a gap in the floorboards. I had assumed the music to be taped,
until we saw the band’s (live?) images projected on to a large screen at the
curtain call.
It's all very sweet, good-natured, and surprisingly
devoid of dark undertones or message. What you see is what you get. Joy and
life triumphs! Cynical characters become transformed into shining beacons of
hope and optimism. I should have hated it. But I didn’t.
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