The movie STEEL MAGNOLIAS may well be one of those you revisited during lockdown, we did and loved every minute of it. It’s a story, and a true one I might add, which is not only funny but filled with incredible heart and passion. To enjoy the story properly however, you need to get yourself along to the New Theatre this week where the play finishes its long UK tour in our capital.
The original book by ROBERT HARLING actually began its life on stage in 1987 and was inspired by the death of his sister due to complications arising from diabetes. OK, that may seem a little tragic for what is essentially a good laugh, but Robert knew how to build a comedy. His telling of the story is majestically funny but about as real-life as you’ll find anywhere.
The six women chat and gossip, laugh, cry and support each other, in fact are a perfect example of the kind of friends we’d all love to have, and hopefully you do.
It seemed a lot of theatre-goers last night were sharing the evening with their special friends and found the production funny and full of emotion. They gave us their take on the show….
If you’ve never seen the movie, and it really doesn’t matter if you have or not, the story is set in a beauty salon where we follow the trials and tribulations of six fierce and sassy women as they set the world to rights in their small-town.
The cast is jam-packed with faces you’ll know from the telly, but within a minute you are so invested in the story and lives of these six women that what they’ve done or been previously in disappears in their on stage roles.
ELIZABETH AYODELLE plays Annelle, salon assistant to Truvy (LUCY SPEED). Annelle likes to keep her eyes and ears on the local gossip and is very good at extracting juicy snippets from the customers, who love nothing more than spilling the beans. It’s here we learn about life in this close knit community and plenty of detail about the annoying men.
Everyone is caught up in the up coming marriage of Shelby (DIANA VICKERS), there’s also a difficult pregnancy to contend with too. She’s the daughter of M’Lynn Eatenton (LAURA MAIN). We also spend time in the company of friends Ouiser Boudreaux (CLAIRE CARPENTER) and Clairee Belcher (CAROLINE HARKER).
Up until this week it has been Harriet Thorpe playing Ouiser, but she is off filming her latest role in Eastenders now, safe in the knowledge that Claire did a fabulous job.
I know what you’re saying, who is this show for? You may wonder that from the poster. Well, I’m here to tell you that everyone will get something from this two hour delight. I laughed a hell of a lot, pretty much all night, and I’m not ashamed to say that an unexpected little tear or two fell into my pack of Jelly Babies.
We have a cast of six women, bringing a touch of American Southern working-class life to our stage, in a play which was written by a man, I think that tells you all you need to know.
We spend the evening in the salon but for the six women this feels more like a home from home – a place they can share their deepest hopes and fears. Praise to set designer LAURA HOPKINS who really has the salon chic down to a fine art. The whole show is set in the salon, with a clever turnaround after the interval. And while we’re handing out praise, great job on the wigs by RICHARD MAWBEY and SUSAN KULKARNI who designed the costumes.
I don’t really want to compare the movie roles with those on stage but for the sake of context, Lucy Speed steps out of Eastenders and into her Dolly Parton big blonde hair and cowboy boots, and is wonderful as Truvy. Diana Vickers, who you may remember from X Factor is Shelby, the character who earned Julia Roberts an OSCAR nomination.
Fans of Call The Midwife were clearly delighted to see Laura Main on stage as M’Lynn. A very together, always protective Mum – until we get to act two and emotional war breaks out. Laura is next level good in the role. Caroline Harker has been in everything from A Touch of Frost to Coronation Street is a terrific Clairee Belcher, with some of the best lines in the show.
Newcomer Elizabeth Ayodele brings a real ditsy busy-body charm about Annelle who is new to the salon at the start but is a joy to watch grow as a character throughout the play.
As we mentioned earlier, Harriet Thorpe has handed over to Claire Carpenter for this final week. Before she left for Walford we spoke to Harriet about the play and her role in particular. She told us just how much she loves the straight-talking, no nonsense bitchiness of Ouiser. You can watch our interview with Harriet HERE.
I would urge you to forgot the movie and see STEEL MAGNOLIAS with fresh eyes, and I’m not belittling the film in any way, I really love it. This story is meant to be seen live, like we are sitting in the salon waiting room eavesdropping on these women as they put the world to right with a love and bond that only real, unbreakable friendship brings.
The show was written as a tribute to Robert’s sister, but I think it’s also a real testament to the strength of the main players in this story which is warm, witty and incredibly sentimental, in the best possible way.
The title suggests that our female characters are as delicate as magnolias but tough as steel, something which is true of us all. These women are far from one dimensional and each bring something to the ‘friends‘ party
The show, directed by ANTHONY BANKS (Mrs Warren’s Profession, Tour, Girl on the Train, West End, Dial M for Murder, National tour), and has been touring since January and will conclude at the New Theatre in Cardiff this week. I would urge you to catch it while you can.
STEEL MAGNOLIAS is at 7:30pm each evening with a 2:30pm matinee on Thursday and Saturday. For more details and to get your tickets go HERE.
