Redtwist’s Lettice and Lovage Is Cute. Just...Cute.

By Julienne Bilker in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 16, 2009 5:40PM

Lettice and Lovage, which opened Redtwist Theatre’s season last week, was written by playwright Peter Shaffer specifically for Maggie Smith. Although it won Dame Smith the 1990 Tony Award for "Best Actress In A Play" and was nominated for "Best Play" in that year, to be honest, we don’t think the script is that good. We certainly appreciate a show that provides two meaty roles for women, and yes, it’s cute - but it’s also way too long, and kind of…fluffy. Fluffy shows can be great, if they’re well-executed. Lettice and Lovage isn’t sharp enough to compensate for its fluff - an issue we suspect was not as prevalent with Maggie Smith driving the show. We just can’t help but wonder: why choose this play?

Program notes often provide some kind of insight into how the show’s director, and/or the company’s Artistic Director, would like you to approach the production. The note from Redtwist Artistic Director Michael Colucci informs the audience of Lettice and Lovage’s Tony pedigree, cites Wikipedia for background on the playwright, and pats the artistic and design teams on the back for, essentially, being just plain swell. The note from director Steve Scott isn’t much better, as it is comprised of two quotes from the show - one about beauty, and one about theatre. It’s all very nice, but not at all helpful. It’s fluff.

We should probably fill you in on the premise before we go any further. Lettice Douffet (Millicent Hurley) is a Preservation Trust tour guide with a penchant for the dramatic, at what is arguably England’s most boring historical house. In an attempt to energize her tour groups, she begins inventing captivating stories about the house, and the legendary figures that may or may not have spent time there. She is called out by a none-too-amused Lotte Schoen (Jan Ellen Graves), a higher-up at the Preservation Trust, and despite a creative defense of her actions, is fired. Several months later, Lotte, plagued with guilt over the thought that Lettice has likely been unable to find suitable employment, pays Lettice a visit to offer a recommendation for another position with another company. As the theatrical Lettice knocks down a few of Lotte’s defensive walls, the two end up an unlikely pair of friends. Like we said, it’s cute.

The success of Lettice and Lovage rests disproportionately on Lettice - the role pretty much demands a tour-de-force comedic performance - and Hurley does an admirable job shouldering this responsibility. She’s a funny woman with great presence, but there’s something missing. The constraints of her playing space - the theater seats only 36 people - almost eliminate her opportunities for grand physical comedy, and the other cast members don’t return her fire. We realize this is part of the point - Lettice is an outlandish, lively woman who stands out against…anyone, really - however, that’s not an excuse to rely on her zeal, or for the show to move at an excruciating pace. Although she picks up a bit of steam in the third act, Graves spends much of the show being overpowered by Hurley and/or absorbing her energy. This may or may not be a matter of direction, but the fact that a character has been beaten-down by life does not dictate that she act with an awareness that she is a wet blanket. It’s a lot more interesting if she doesn’t realize it at all, until Lettice opens her eyes. There is a glimmer of that intent - but it’s not carried out clearly. On top of all of that, Shaffer has provided very little dramatic conflict after the first act - the second and third acts are more tedious than entertaining.

Lettice’s motto in life, an adage passed down to her from her mother, is “Enlarge! Enliven! Enlighten!” If there was a part of this show that was supposed to enlarge, enliven or enlighten us, we missed it. If a company is going to take on a flawed play, it needs to aim higher.

Lettice and Lovage, through November 8. Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr. Tickets $22-$30 ($5 discount for students/seniors), reserve@redtwist.org or 773-728-7529.