Publicity #1: Amy’s View
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: March 2 2017 issue – page 42
Text Header: Wick tackle Amy’s View
Text: Content
Amy’s View by David hare has been variously described as absorbing, fascinating, funny and intriguing. It is the next production from Wick Theatre Company.
Amy’s view of life is that “love conquers all”. She feels we should all just try to get along. But is that possible when her mother and her boyfriend have such opposing views? Dominic, Amy’s boyfriend, thinks that theatre is dean and supports new media, aspiring to become a film-maker, while her mother Esme, a West End actress, defends the importance of the theatre. She does not understand how Amy can wish to be with a man like him.
The action of the play is spread over a period of 16 years, during which we see how Amy, Esme and Dominic continue to relate to each other, and the various ups and downs of their lives.
The play was a big hit at the National Theatre in 1997, and in the West End, with Judi Dench in the lead rôle, then transferring to Broadway and winning top awards. Felicity Kendal took the main rôle of Esme in the National Theatre revival in 2006.
Wick welcomes Sarah London to play the rôle of Esme. Anna Steddon who trained in drama at Hull University plays Amy. David Peaty plays Frank, Anita Shipton makes a return to the barn stage to play Evelyn and Maurice Humphries is Toby.
Performances of Amy’s View run from Wednesday, March 8 to Saturday, March 11 at the Barn Theatre, Southwick Street, Southwick. Curtain up is at 7.45pm. Tickets cost £11 from the box office on 01273 597094 or through website www.wicktheatre.co.uk
Publicity #2: Amy’s View
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: March 9 2017 issue – page 41
Text Header: Major role offers terrifying prospect for Sarah at Wick
Text: Content
Sarah London admits Amy’s View – in which she plays Esme for Wick Theatre Company – is a scary prospect.
“If you ask me how I feel, I would have to say absolutely terrified!” But at the same time, it is a wonderful challenge.
In David Hare’s play, Amy’s view of life is that “Love conquerors all”. She feels we should all just try to get along. But is that possible when mother and her boyfriend have such opposing views?
Dominic, Amy’s boyfriend, thinks that theatre is dead and supports new media, aspiring to become a film-maker, while her mother Esme, a West End actress, defends the importance of the theatre.
The action of the play is spread over a period of 16 years, during which we see how Amy, Esme and Dominic continue to relate to each other, and the various ups and downs of their lives.
The part of Esme has been famously played before by Judi Dench and by Felicity Kendal. “I am one of her biggest fans,” Sarah says. “I became an actress because of Felicity Kendal.” Now it is time to follow in her footsteps: “I have got three children. My oldest daughter is at drama school herself. I just thought now was time for me to try something new.”
Sarah trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has gone on to work as a professional voice-over for Vision Express, Disney channel, RSC and Vauxhall among many others. She also works as a drama teacher two and a half days a week.
The prospect of Esme now is “quite overwhelming”, Sarah admits – but fascinating too. “I think she has got a wicked sense of humour. She is also quite a control freak. She is trying to control as much of her life as possible. She also has a lot of pain. At the very, very end, you see a little bit of the real Esme. She allows herself to be vulnerable at the very end.”
Part also of the challenge is that the whole thing is “incredibly dense”, in terms of characters, plot and dialogue. “A lot of people will watch it, and a lot pf people will go through life and work very hard at anything rather than look at the truth of what is going on in their own lives. She is a control freak. But it is all avoidance….”
Performances pf Amy’s View run from Wednesday, March 8 to Saturday, March 11 at the Barn Theatre, Southwick Street, Southwick.
Curtain-up for the show is at 7.45pm. Tickets cost £11 from the box office on 01273 507094 or through our website www.wicktheatre.co.uk
Review #1: Amy’s View
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: March 16 2017 issue – page 25
Reviewer: Elaine Hammond
Text Header: Excellent performances as relationships are explored
Text: Content
Family dynamics featured strongly in Wick Theatre Company’s latest production, staged at the Barn Theatre in Southwick last week. Amy’s View by Sir David Hare, a former Lancing College student, was also quite political, though perhaps had more influence when it was first staged in the late 1990s.
Despite having a father who worked for a Lloyd’s broker, I still had to look up Lloyd’s Names to find out more about unlimited liability and the asbestos scandal that affected them. Knowledge of this was pretty important to understand the character Esme Allen, a West End star played by Sarah London who happily accepted the cheques from Lloyd’s in the good years but lost everything when disaster struck.
Making her debut for the Wick, Sarah played the part superbly, often appearing to be guided by others but actually trying to control people, especially her daughter Amy, played by Anna Steddon. Anna, too, gave an outstanding performance and these two ladies kept the pace perfectly in their long duologue, demonstrating the tensions and frustrations of a family argument but never shouting, which would have spoiled the effect.
Anita Shipton, as Esme’s mother-in-law Evelyn, had a different role to play. Her comic one-liners in Act One were subtle and she did really well to portray the changes when Evelyn became affected by dementia later in the play.
There were good performances from the men, too, with Dan Dryer as Amy’s husband Dominic, David Peaty as Esme’s neighbour Frank and Maurice Humphrys, who came in for the last act as Esme’s co-star Toby Cole.
Dominic starts the play as an aspiring filmmaker and does not have much time for Esme’s beloved live drama. Things shift as the play develops and he becomes very successful, making for a poignant final act, where Dan allowed us to believe he was sincere in his attempt to make amends with Esme. David remained amiable and easygoing even when it became apparent Frank was the one in control of Esme’s investments.
The play spans 16 years and the changing relationships were keenly observed, however there were no real visible signs of aging, which may have helped illustrate the passing of time.
We went away with a lot to talk about as we explored the themes, which is testament to the excellence of the performances.
Review #2: Amy’s View
Publication: N.O.D.A – National Operatic and Dramatic Association
Publication Data: March 9 2017
Reviewer: Lance Milton – Regional representative for South East Region District 1 [Mid Sussex]
Text: Content
Amy’s View, in my view, epitomizes the writing of Sir David Hare, which is consistently edgy, cynical of the development in British culture and tackles real life at a level that is primal to all of us, making all of his writing both for film and the stage surprisingly and instantly accessible.
John Garland’s production capitalised on a talented cast to make the best of the exceptional and moving material provided by the author. From the outset we, the audience, became quickly invested in the characters as the contrast and colour delivered by each player was resolute and devoted. Complimented by a fabulous full stage set, era accurate costumes, hair and makeup; and technical support that were ostensibly flawless, the cast had the seamless provision to submerge their audience in the dark and uncomfortable themes.
Amy, played with unswerving conviction by Anna Steddon, is torn between loyalties to her capricious celebrity actress mother Evelyn, delivered with aplomb by the engaging Anita Shipton; and her boyfriend, latterly to become domineering misogynist husband, Dominic who, dare I suggest, may have a soupçon of basis on Hare himself and was nicely delivered by Dan Dryer. The struggle and contempt between the pair cause evanescence in Amy’s natural positivity. Yet supported by her grandmother Esme, beautifully portrayed by Sarah London, Amy continues to play the protagonist between them. Despite becoming temporarily estranged from her mother, Amy still returns and tries to help Evelyn escape the debt and mischief caused by Frank, played very naturally by David Peaty, her second husband and flawed financial advisor.
At the culmination we see the feuding pair ultimately find the potential beginnings of some common ground in the loss of Amy in a final scene deftly interspersed with veracity by young actor Toby, pleasantly delivered by Maurice Humphrys. However, I love the fact that the author does not confirm this and neither did the fabulous Wick Players, leaving it to our own interpretation. In Hare’s own words ‘Sudden resolutions, like the sudden rise of mercury in a barometer, indicate little else than the variability of the weather.’
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