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Posted: Wednesday 23 November, 2011
Funny, witty, profound and endearing – nearly 20 years on from when it was first performed at the National Theatre in London, Tom Stoppard's play remains as resonant today as it was then. There's even a character jailed for desecrating the Cenotaph War Memorial.
The Real Thing examines, love, life and intellectual attitudes through the relationship of playwright Henry and actress Annie, along with that of their former spouses Max and Charlotte. It is set to a soundtrack of 60s pop music, the preferred music of Henry who in one of the opening scenes agonises over his choice of eight records for his appearance on Desert Island Discs. This is just one of the many contrasts subtly explored. The intellectual Henry crafts beautifully worded plays but enjoys the simplicity of popular lyrics and feels that his musical choice is a humiliation.
There are some superb performances, most especially from Richard Matthews as Henry who is utterly believable as he struggles with his notions of romance, of love, of intellectual truth in order to make the relationship with Annie work. Caroline Groom is also excellent as Annie, conflating the world of stage and real life in the pursuit of her own ideals. And there is a particularly amusing scene on the train with the young Billy (well played by Tom Ash-Miles) with whom she has an affair. Nicky Wilkins as Annie's former husband Max and Jane Lawson as Henry's former wife Charlotte also put in fine performances, the latter being especially good at acid badinage.
Director Yvonne Paulley, making her debut in the main auditorium, has triumphed in this production in which she also designed the set, staged in the round.
Jackie Chapell, The Bath Chronicle