Cyril's Little Moments of Weakness and Strength Reviewsgate.com
A rare Fringe view of older folks' dilemmas.
Edinburgh's Fringe is so often seen as a place for new performers that it's unusual to come across a three-handed play where 2 of the characters (though not performers) would be entitled to their bus-passes in real-life. Yet Alice, at 60, is a new force who disrupts the life of 68 year-old Josh, blind and wheelchair-bound.
For his younger brother Cyril takes his eyes off Josh's wheels as Alice offers a new dimension to life - offers a life of his own. Josh clearly has a lot to lose; so hermetic has their relationship become that Cyril initially rebuffs Alice's offers of help. Garner catches this moment neatly, with Alice's practicality - she always has a carrier-bag going spare in case of need, but Cyril's unable to accept any kindness.
Not that Josh, bad-tempered and giving nothing, helps his own case. Even a request - a nuanced demand, rather - for a cheese sandwich, is followed up by supplementary expectations. Given half a chance, Josh is off listening to his audio-tape collection of football commentaries. No wonder Cyril's averse to the beautiful game.
Nor is he up to his brother's devious destructive force. The sparse staging briefly takes on an element of colour as Cyril produces the best plates for Alice's visit. His brother has little trouble smashing the friendship, if not the china, thereby leading to the ruin of three lives.
This is a community company based at Christ's Hospital Theatre (the 'Hospital' being an educational rather than medical establishment). The cast clearly all know what they're doing on stage, controlling the mood successfully. It's perhaps a shame Jeffrey Mayhew directs as well as taking on the main role, good as he is in it. The production could gain from an external eye working on detail of pacing and reaction times.
But it's good to see the Fringe offering so well-considered a reminder that there's more to life's troubles than the pains of youth.
Timothy Ramsden , 4th August 2003