Quality Street (by Northern Broadsides & New Vic Theatre)
Starring: Paula Lane, Louisa-May Parker, Aron Julius, Jelani D’Aguilar, Alice Imelda, Alicia McKenzie, Alex Morgan, Jamie Smelt, Gilly Tompkins, Lisa Allen
Adapted by Laurie Sanson
Review by Miriam Atkinson
This adaption of JM Barrie’s play Quality Street was brought to life by the teams at Northern Broadsides and New Vic Theatre; with some added modern elements. In 2023 the play made its second tour after the first was cut short by the 2020 pandemic.
Set during the Regency period, the dashing Valentine (Aron Julius) enlists in the Napoleonic Wars – much to the distress of the infatuated Phoebe (Paula Lane). While the men are away, Phoebe and her sister Susan (Louisa-May Parker) reluctantly become schoolteachers to earn money. When Valentine returns home after ten years he declares Phoebe has grown old and tired. Insulted Phoebe dons the persona of her fictional niece Libby, who enjoys balls and dancing, in an effort to please Valentine. What follows is a fun escapade as both sisters must continue the ruse and keep the truth from the oblivious Valentine and their nosy neighbours, the Willoughbys (Jelani D’Aguilar/Alicia McKenzie).
In a fun move the play came close to breaking the fourth wall through its inclusion of new scenes set in the present day. Inspired by a visit from real factory workers who saw the rehearsal of the play’s first run, the play included character versions of these ladies who discuss going to see the play Quality Street – the production we the audience were also watching. As well as being a nice tribute, the present day scenes also served as guide for the audience. The factory workers discussed what they thought the play might be about and what they thought of the characters in the play – just as those of us who were unfamiliar with Barrie’s original Quality Street were thinking.
I have to give a special mention to Lisa Allen who was a last minute replacement for the performance I saw and she coped amazingly. Allen’s main role was that of housekeeper Patty – one of the few steadfast and serious characters who tries to avoid the youthful antics of the other characters. Allen’s deadpan delivery of Patty’s lines were some of the funniest moments of the play.
As was JM Barrie’s intention the seriousness of the ongoing war and the presence of the soldiers was contrasted by the light-heartedness of Phoebe mistakenly thinking Valentine was about to propose to her and Susan getting completely over-excited in the moment. This subtle mix of tones and showing how the characters have to seize the moments of joy where they can is perhaps one of the reasons why the original play has endured.
A mix of drama, romance and comedy – there was a lot to love about this production. The entire cast was amazing, especially the duo of Lane and Parker as sisters Phoebe and Susan. It was clear everyone had fun on stage which translated into the audience’s enjoyment as we watched. I wish I had space in this review to list all of my favourite moments. Overall a really good night at the Theatre by the Lake!
Credit for all images used in this review belongs to Theatre by the Lake.
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