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Getting On
Summary
Review of Sudbury Dramatic Society's production of Alan Bennett's Getting On
The Quay Theatre
17th-21st November 2009
The Quay Theatre, Sudbury
Alan Bennett is a renowned author, playwright and actor, renowned for his acute observational humour and Getting On, written in 1971, is no exception. The entire play is brimming with detail, beginning with the elaborate and realistic set that perfectly captures the home of a typical middle-class family of the 70's.
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Alan Bennett is a renowned author, playwright and actor, renowned for his acute observational humour and Getting On, written in 1971, is no exception. The entire play is brimming with detail, beginning with the elaborate and realistic set that perfectly captures the home of a typical middle-class family of the 70's.
The play begins as it means to go on, with a greatly insightful speech from George Oliver, MP (Malcolm Hollister) that entirely sets the tone. Grumpy, opinionated and forceful, George is nevertheless kind-hearted, striving to achieve a perfect life for his family. Though the MP is certainly politically eloquent (often overly so, to the irritation of his family), he is surprisingly short-sighted when it comes to matters closer to home and Bennett captures this image perfectly.
The play is riddled with stirring speeches, commenting on topics as varied as teenage life, marriage, education, old age, sexuality and the class system. However, these speeches, though certainly as relevant today as when the play was written, have the potential to become tedious if delivered in the wrong way, but each and every actor, particularly Malcolm Hollister, was able to integrate them almost seamlessly into everyday life. Both Bennett and the actors did not ignore the strangeness of such insight in casual conversation. Indeed, George is often ridiculed by his family for his tendency to use the people surrounding him as examples in his own speeches at parliament.
Finally, watching the play as a teenager, it was refreshing to see modern teenagers portrayed as little more than vandals and hooligans: the son of George and Polly, his wife, evidently possesses a bright and inquiring mind and is able to enter into debate with his father on several occasions. Andy (played by Tom Eddington) is not, however, the stereotypical perfect son, with excellent grades and drive and a steady job, but a completely realistic teenager of the time, with his own personality.
Overall, the play was extremely enjoyable, rounded, intelligent and amusing, definitely a must-see.
Hannah Bunting
Sudbury Upper School
19th November 2009
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Last updated on: 23 March 2010 | Date of next review: 23 March 2011
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