Synopsis:
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Deborah Amore (Amy) Liz McNally (Esme)
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Amy’s View was written by
British playwright David Hare, and originally
premiered in London at the Royal National
Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre on June 13th, 1997.
It was directed by Richard Eyre and starred
Samantha Bond as Amy and Judi Dench as Amy's
mother, Esme. It was then performed on Broadway
on April 15, 1999. It was directed again by
Eyre, with Dench and Bond reprising their roles.
Felicity Kendal has also appeared as Esme and
our actress playing the part has had a very
encouraging letter from her about playing the
role!
The play takes place in
Berkshire near Pangbourne, at the home of Esme,
a widow, and a well-known West End actress. The
play starts in 1979 - the moment when the West
End is ceasing to offer actors and actresses
like Esme a regular way of life.
A fascinating core to this
gripping play is the role and significance of
traditional theatre as opposed to the new media
entertainments like reality television and
investigative chat shows that seem to be
upstaging it.
The catalyst for the tense
atmosphere and fierce argument, something that
envelopes all the 16 years of the 4 Acts of the
play, is the introduction to Esme by her
daughter Amy of her new boyfriend Dominic.
Dominic has a very low opinion of theatre and
the way plays are acted, he thinks it is dead
and passionately wants to get into the media
arts and films.
Amy is caught in the middle
of all this argument about theatre, and other
aspects of her relationship with Dominic, which
unfold in the play, mean that she is challenged
hugely between the love and affection for her
mother and the love she has for her partner. It
is ‘Amy’s View’ that everyone should try and get
on with each other but as you can imagine this
view is severely challenged!
As if this huge argument
was not enough there is yet another problem
involving Esme and her friend and financial
consultant which will bring back all the
memories of the financial difficulties that
preceded the present banking crisis which
affected all the names in syndicates at Lloyds –
something I note that was only settled legally
weeks ago and therefore very pertinent to
today’s problems!
Although I never saw the
acclaimed production with Judi Dench in the
starring role I can very much imagine this was
very much a vehicle for her. It is a hugely
challenging role, hardly off stage and always
giving ‘an actress performance’ whether on the
stage or to whoever is present in her Pangbourne
sitting room! We are very fortunate to have
playing this role Liz McNally who gained a
special commendation for her role of M’Lyn in
our March 2008 production of Steel Magnolias,
which was given the NODA Accolade of Excellence
for a Dramatic Production by NODA (National
Operatic and Dramatic Association) for that
year.
The production of this play
has not been without its challenges – it should
have been staged in December 2008 but casting
and production difficulties have had to be
sorted including changing two of the very
demanding parts and the play now being directed
by myself with the much appreciated support of
assistant director Sandy Knight.
Stepping in to play the
part of Amy, an equally demanding role, I am
thrilled to have Deborah Amor – a very well know
local actress who wrote and directed “In
Confidence’ for The Arundel Players in April.
The highly acclaimed four monologues were
influenced by Alan Bennet’s Talking Heads.
Also stepping in to play
her boyfriend and eventual husband Dominic is
Richard Greenhorne – best known perhaps for his
performances and direction of many operatic
productions but also a very fine actor and
appeared in two of our past productions.
Two very experienced and
celebrated local performers – Julia Webb plays
Esme’s mother in law Evelyn and Bernie Taylor
plays Frank, the local neighbour friend of Esme
and her ‘financial adviser’.
At the end of the play we
are introduced to Toby, played by newcomer
Steven Rick who plays a young actor starring
with Esme in a hugely successful play in the
West End.
The ending is a very
heartening way of showing that theatre, despite
all the slings and arrows thrown at it during
the play, does emerge today as vital and
relevant as it always was. It is my intention to
make the ending of the play as stunning as we
can make it encourage our audiences to want more
of this wonderful art form.
Peter Green, July 2009
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