| 24 August 2011
Arthur Dodsworth has recently retired and this afternoon it his ‘pleasure’ to play host to his former secretary, Peggy Prothero, as she opportunely drops in for a visit. Charmless and brash Miss Porthero is keen to fill in her old boss on all the changes at Warburtons since his departure, saving her most callous bombshell until the very last minute.
Nicholas Parsons and Suki Wedbter star in this 1978 Alan Bennett play, enlivening the figures of the polite and patient Dodsworth and the pestering, mean-spirited Prothero to a tee. Every aspect of the stage’s set is pitch perfect, conjuring eloquently a house-proud widow’s home, complete with his Warburtons’ presentation clock and crocheted doilies by his late wife. Watching them perform, one really senses how wearing this woman is; she waits to be invited before she will sit, take tea or even hand over her coat. Her conversation lacks all social grace and is malignant at the very best. As a result, the audience has a fair few chuckles along the way.
This half-hour show is well-crafted and pleasantly delivered, though personally I found it almost too measured. However, I suspect that this is a generational thing and that your average Radio 4 listener would relish its subtlety and wit.
A Visit From Miss Prothero, Pleasance Courtyard, 23-28 Aug, 1.00 pm
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
