Review: Look Back In Anger, Northern Stage, Newcastle

Mar 12 2009 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

A BORING Sunday afternoon, drawn out with newspapers, cigarettes and piles of ironing, was probably a scene typical of many Fifties households when John Osborne wrote his seminal play – though those first audiences were apparently shocked at seeing such a mundane scene, and its accompanying ugly words and emotions, on the stage.

You’d pretty much have to wire up the auditorium to shock audiences today of course – although the three hour, 20 minute running time (including two intervals) on Tuesday night was itself a bit of a shocker – but that opening scene of this new production, directed by Northern Stage’s Erica Whyman, sees sparks fly soon enough between Jimmy Porter and middle class wife Alison.

Within the setting of a cooped-up flat, we can understand the frustration of a working class, but university educated, man out of kilter with life. And it’s in the cast’s ability to make us understand their multi-faceted characters that this production works so very well.

So we have Jimmy, played by Bill Ward (Coronation Street bad guy Charlie Stubbs until he was killed off) baiting both his wife and pal Cliff. But here it’s more like winding up a mate, taking the edge off his nastiness, until he goes too far; while Cliff (Rob Storr) is less a weak sop than a friend just trying to keep the peace.

We understand too why Alison, played by Nia Gwynne, can’t display to the self-pitying, needy side of Jimmy the emotions he wants to see. While he berates his silent wife’s lack of feeling, Gwynne’s face, a mask of pain, speaks volumes.

But we also see their love: their pet names are “bear” and “squirrel”, while Cliff is a mouse at one point. Hmm. Quite what that makes Alison’s friend Helena (Laura Howard) – whose arrival marks a turning point in their lives – I’m not quite sure. Perhaps a wolf in sheep’s clothing, as she reveals she finds Jimmy’s apparent hatred of her exciting.

Howard turns on its head a scene, which echoes the start of the play, when she usurps Alison’s place at home, and at ironing board, but sees the funny side of what to Alison was torture.

The play’s moral questions, class differences and petty cruelties, which all shook 1956 sensibilities are a mix which earned Osborne the label “angry young man”. More than a half-century on, after gritty TV drama further muddied the culture waters, it’s still packing a punch.

Today’s audiences might be more inclined towards a Corrie-style end for bully Jimmy but, after watching the emotional final scene with Alison, they’ll be prepared (despite more bear/squirrel chat) to cut him some slack. You could have heard a pin drop – and it really didn’t seem like three hours had passed.

* The play will tour, including a run at Durham’s Gala Theatre from April 28 to May 2.