|
|
 |
|
Author
Nora Ephron
Producer
James Tod
Director
Loveday Ingram
Music
Jamie Cullum
Ben Cullum
Design
Ultz
Lighting
Nigel Edwards
Sound
John Owens
Harry
Luke Perry
Sally
Alyson Hannigan
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Haymarket,
Theatre Royal
11 February - 29 May
2004 |
|
Reasonably often
one sees films of great stage plays
but it is much rarer to see a great
stage adaptation of a film. To be honest,
I'm not sure I see the point. The current
production of When
Harry met Sally
at The Theatre Royal Haymarket is certainly
pleasant enough but it doesn't live
up to the film and without knowing the
film I'm not sure it stands up to anything.
The script is remarkably similar which
means there are too many very very short
scenes which of course work brilliantly
on film but here everything just feels
jumpy and unfinished.
Luke
Perry and Alyson Hannigan do an admirable
job but they can't compare to the original
casting of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.
Perry is too attractive and Hannigan,
although good in her way, seems as though
she is struggling with her voice so
that it becomes almost a strain to listen
to. The black and white video clips
of lovers ‚ Sally's friend Marie's installation
‚ are the same as in the film and the
only notable difference in the story
is the way that Harry and Sally meet.
If one is going to adapt a film, surely
it should not just be transferred to
the stage scene for scene but truly
adapted. One feels a little cheated
as it is clear that the producers are
capitalising on the film's success and
the fame of its two television-star
leads without adding anything to make
it a worthwhile project.
That
is not to say that Perry and Hannigan
are bad actors. They are fine and they
certainly have charisma but I didn't
really believe in their relationship,
or their feelings for their various
lovers, or that he is a lawyer and she
a journalist. When they finally do end
up in bed Hannigan's blissful look is
too much of a caricature, played for
laughs, and Perry's pulling on of underwear
is purely for titillation, but that
is more a directorial fault.
Having
said all that, it is an enjoyable evening
and most of the audience were certainly
having a wonderful time. The supporting
cast, particularly Sharon Small and
Kevin Collins, are good and even the
obligatory orgasm-faking scene is decently
pulled off ‚ with a gay twist. And in
the last scene when Harry convinces
Sally that he really does love her,
they finally make it their own. If you
love the film you will get pleasure
from this production, but you will probably
really wish that you'd watched the film
again. Unless you are a fan of Luke
Perry or Alyson Hannigan of course.
Francine Brody |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
