John (David Calvitto) is a clairvoyant listening to the problems of client Miss A (Scarlett Strallen). Or rather, he's leading the conversation, suggesting what may be what she has come to him to find out. He surprises her with his perceptions, telling her against her belief that she has a scar on her left knee concealed by her dress. He turns aways as she examines it. Miss A is shocked to find that she has. Rapidly he moves to detecting that the problem she seeks guidance on is her mother, and a specific matter.

Charles (Richard Standing) is John's new young gay lover. Charles has listened outside. When Miss A has left and the two men are alone, John explains to Charles exactly how he has pulled the tricks making up his apparent clairvoyance. Greedy Charles wants John to defraud Miss A, and quickly - otherwise he'll leave for good. This is against John's character - but on the other hand, he desires Charles. What will he do? What will Miss A do?

It's not possible to go further in describing the play without spoiling it. It's extremely taut, very cleverly plotted, with each minute of running time crucial, right up to the last sentence. It really is a masterpiece of writing, by - some might say the world's greatest playwright - David Mamet. His art of imagination and words opens like the compartments of a magician's box with each twist and revelation.

David Calvitto delivers a performance that can only be described as a tour de force. His John focusses attention in a quite remarkable way, producing the effect in reality that John must produce on Miss A. This John is a good-looking man perhaps in his 40s, with grey hair, slim physique and a strong but enigmatic presence. His speech evokes exactly what each of the scenes requires to bubble to life. In some, he's a masterful leader of a willing subject, in some a middle-aged lover trying to work out what he wants from the conflicting tugs of desire and honesty, in another a female medium from another century. In each of them, David Calvitto is outstanding.

Richard Standing catches exactly what's involved in Charles. This Charles is a rent boy with determination to get money, to trade himself for advancement, provided the advancement is fast. He's a bit stupid, but not too stupid. It could be easy to lose the subtleties contained in this character, but Richard Standing finds the centre of Charles and delivers him in a wholly-believable way.

Scarlett Strallen is a real delight as Miss A. Miss A is a complicated person - there's a lot of regrets from childhood and adulthood concerning her relationship with her mother. She has a strong need for someone to help her face them - and to make up her mind what to do in her present dilemma. She is not sure whether to believe in John or whether he's a con-man. He keeps surprising her with what he knows; she keeps sceptical - but her need for consolation is welling up like a volcano. There's a need for an actor or remarkable ability to bring out what Miss A is about, and Scarlett Strallen is that woman. Her Miss A is very pretty - with her hair tied up severely and clothes exceptionally modest to attempt to disguise it - and the subtle but powerful womanliness of her reactions with John give the drama between them a delicate underlining of unexpressed passion. This Miss A is sharp and intellectual, and able to explode with passion of another kind. Scarlett Strallen delivers all these components of this complex character with panache.

Designer Christine Osborne creates a set with a mood - as if a rooming-house in the 1930s, but the storyline is more contemporary. Unusually for a theatre the stage of this one has a real French window in the centre of the back wall. Usually its concealed, but Christine Osborne makes it a central feature, so the play can run with the evening light fading behind (real) trees in the background - adding a subtle edge to a play which has at its centre the relationship between trick and real. A bright red teapot matches bright red pelmet and curtains to the stage, and a bright red silk throw, and door curtain; contrasting with the subdued red/black fine-check of Miss A's midi-length skirt. The wrapping of Miss A's blonde hair into a tight circuit of her head; her black jacket, formal white shirt - and in another scene her buttoned-up blue long-sleeved top - all add suggestion to her character.

Nicholas Skillbeck's soundscape integrates the ticking of clocks between scenes - and the abstracted chords of a fine musical score before the play starts - stimulating pace and creating mood. Damian Robertson provides a lighting design that carefully builds on the script; the handling of the seance scene is particularly evocative.

Licensing of David Mamet's plays is said to involve his personal approval of the director, and he's made a good choice. Emma Taylor produces a stunning result from extremely careful attention to all the details, and a grand imaginative plan for the execution of the whole. It really is very unusual for a play - any play - to be spellbinding, and this production is. Partly it's the script - will a fundamentally good and decent man be corrupted; will a good and decent woman find her future and her past? Partly it's excellence of acting. And partly it's the ability of the gifted director, Emma Taylor, to take all the components of the production to their creative capacities, bring them together in the best way, and deliver 50 minutes of superb, exciting and entertaining delight. This is what theatre should be like.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): David Calvitto - John. Richard Standing - Charles. Scarlett Strallen - Miss A.

Company Credits: Writer - David Mamet. Director - Emma Taylor. Designer - Christine Osborne. Music - Nicholas Skillbeck. Lighting - Damian Robertson. Technical Operator - uncredited. Assistant Director - Damian Sandys. Assistant Producer - Hugh de la Bédoyère. Photographers - Pete Smith & Damian Robertson. Flyer Designer - Jonathan Oldershaw. Producer - Emma Taylor. Company - Canal Café Theatre. Thanks to: Mike Hodd, Christopher Hale & Liberty Martin (Canal Café Theatre), Francesca Fanizzi & all at The Bridge House, Pete Smith (Royal Academy of Music), Marcus Markou (Dynamis), Alex Dower & Katy Dower (The Machine Room), Tony Roban, Aurelia Dupas, Lauren Hicks, Sean Garvey, Kieran Healey, John Covill, Sarah Sylvester, Babette Langford, Jack Rebaldi. Company - Canal Café Theatre. Programme note: 'The Shawl was first presented on 19 April 1985 by the Goodman Theater's New Theater Company in Chicago. The British premiere was at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs on 9 June 1986.'

END

John Park

reviewed Thursday 1 May 08 / Canal Café Theatre

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008