|
 Woody Harrelson (of ‘Cheers’ fame) takes to the Lyric’s stage in a
sincere and tragic portrayal of Dr. Lawrence Shannon in this warm, dark
and bitterly humorous adaptation of the Tennessee Williams’ play ‘Night
of the Iguana’.
Set in a Mexican hotel in the 1940’s, ‘…Iguana’ is the story of three
individuals at the end of their tether who find themselves thrown
together and forced to face their inner-demons.
The story revolves around ‘Shannon, a defrocked priest locked out of his
church for blasphemy and sleeping with underage girls who seeks refuge
from his latest misfortune in the sanctuary that this hotel, ran by his
old friend Maxine (Claire Higgins, best known as ‘Julia’ from the
‘Hellraiser’ films) offers.
Whilst Shannon is in the grip of a ‘fever’ (in other words, a mental
breakdown), the bold and flirtatious Maxine is herself coming to terms
with the death of her husband.
Between them, Harrelson and Higgins bring out the tense relationship
between ‘Shannon and Maxine. By using dry, perfectly-timed comedy to
vivisect the grief, pain and sexual tension between them, theirs becomes
a relationship bonded by mutual affection and a sense of loss; Maxine
for her late husband, ‘Shannon for his faith, his self-respect and his
former life.
Just as things couldn’t get any more turbulent, they are joined by a
rather plain, New England spinster, Hannah Jelkes (played brilliantly by
Jenny Seagrove, known for her role in ‘Judge John Deed’) and her ageing
grandfather Nonno (John Franklyn-Robbins).
Seeing Hannah as a threat to her distorted relationship with ‘Shannon,
Maxine does everything she can to keep the two apart. Yet through the
course of this ‘night of the iguana’, these two lost nomads find
themselves in the throes of a spiritual one night stand, connecting on
some level of understanding that will allow both to wake in the morning
with a new sense of direction, even if that direction is away from each
other.
It is in these scenes particularly where Williams’ firm dialogue strikes
like a velvet bullet: hammering home the tragedy and despair whilst
smoothing the blows with wry wit and sardonic humour.
Anthony Ward’s impressive tropical design also lends itself well to the
telling of this tale. The cast, completed by a tremendous cameo from
Nichola McAuliffe, as well as Federico Zanni, Simon Kassianides, Peter
Banks, Nancy Baldwin, Sean Power and Jenna Harrison, taking full
advantage of their spacious surroundings. Meanwhile, the bright lights
serve well to give off the impression of a sweltering Mexican summer,
before thrashing into a dark storm to highlight the tragic displays of
dark human emotion.
Meanwhile, for first time theatre goers (such as my companion for the
evening) more familiar with Woody Harrelson as ‘that guy from Cheers’,
there’s every chance that it could be hard to see the man in any other
role. Anthony Page however, with his enchanting direction has led Woody
into far darker territories than his TV sitcom days, bringing out in him
a real sense of despair. With Higgins and Seagrove too, Page has dragged
to the forefront the deep, underlying woes of Maxine and Hannah,
bringing the characters to life and leaving you totally captivated for
the whole performance. So much so to the point that it’s incredibly easy
to forget that this even is a performance.
Yet if this production falters anywhere, it is in its use of symbolism.
Whilst the eponymous iguana, here tied up and being prepared for a
feast, is presumed to represent how the three protagonists are trapped
by their own circumstances, and how its subsequent freedom by ‘Shannon
is supposed to represent the sense of spiritual freedom they gain in the
end, this is far too subtle and untouched to be effective. On the
opposite end of the scale, the symbolism of ‘Shannon pathetically tied
to hammock ‘like a more comfortable Jesus’ is far too over-played and
over-stated, despite having seemingly little relevance.
However, such criticisms are surely nitpicking, since any underlying
meanings in this play are, by the by, a bonus of what we are given on
the surface: the basic human desires and struggles of humankind to
control them.
‘Night of the Iguana’ doesn’t need metaphors and the like to be
effective. What we are dealing with here is the relationship between
three people, whose thoughts, emotions and dreams are laid bare for us
all to see, and whose pain, sorrow and joy are ours to share. And what
Harrelson, Higgins and Seagrove have shared with us here is, on the
whole, a touching, funny and painfully moving performance.
Whilst the likelihood of this play ever reaching the stages of Wigan are
almost non-existent, if you do happen to find yourself in London, “Night
of the Iguana” is definitely worth a watch. Before we saw it, we
anticipated this to be dark, sinister and incredibly serious, and whilst
it is definitely dark and does have it’s fair share of serious,
heart-on-sleeve moments, the frequent humour and wonderful performances
make it a definite recommendation.
You may not leave the Lyric with any life-changing affirmations, but
you’ll certainly feel good!
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