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Humble Boy
by Charlotte Jones
Directed by Aisling
Tigwell
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Cast |
| Felix Humble |
Tom Miller |
| Mercy Lott |
Clare Murray |
| Flora Humble |
Kerry Gentleman |
| Jim (the gardener) |
Keith Miller |
| George Pye |
Andy Godfrey |
| Rosie Pye |
Imogen Willetts |
| "You know, Felix, bumblebees
shouldn't be able to fly .... They don't obey the laws of physics. But
they fly anyway." |
| All
is not well in the Humble Hive.
Thirty-five year old Felix Humble is a Cambridge astro-physicist in
search of a unified field theory. Following the sudden death of his
father, Felix returns to his middle England home and his difficult and
demanding mother, where he soon realizes that his search for unity must
unclude his chaotic home life. |
Although not having a speaking role
(perhaps a buzzing role), the bumblebees were very important characters
in this story. This inspired the director to approach a friend to
supply some information about the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.  Having
enjoyed the performance, audience members were able to go home with
some fascinating information about bumblebees: their importance to the
environment and, crucially, what we, as individuals, can do to protect
them.
We can't reproduce all of that information here, but you can find out for yourself at www.bumblebeeconservation.org
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"Normally,
at the end of a play, it's a
quick curtain call and then off to the bar. When this play finished, I
stood still for a good 5 minutes, just trying to take in everything
that had just happened." That was the reaction of just one audience
member, but it seemed to sum up what many were thinking.
During
the after-show party, reflecting on the sluggish ticket sales when the
booking office first opened, the Fairlight Players' Chairman observed
that " ... even if not one person came to see it, this was production
to be proud of. Artistically and technically, it took us to places
we've not been before ..." and, judging by the feedback received, this
audience would certainly like to see more. |
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| Felix Humble, a 35-year-old theoretical
physicist is struggling
to come to terms with the recent death of his father. Plagued by
self-doubt, we see Felix ride a roller-coaster of emotions as he
desperately searches for answers. |
Flora Humble, Felix's
mother. On the surface, a strong woman, the "big force, gently warping
everything around her." Dissatisfied with her existence in
Moreton-in-the mud, she expects more from life, and neither Felix nor
her late husband's bees are going to spoil it. |
George Pye is as different to
Flora's husband as he could be,
and that is what attracted her to him long before Mr. Humble became the
late Mr. Humble. He fully intends to seize this opportunity to become
the only man in Flora's life, whether Felix likes it or not. |
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| Rosie Pye, daughter of George, and a former
girl-friend of Felix.
Seven years or so after they last met, what surprises could she have in
store, and could the relationships in this family get any more
complicated? |
Mercy Lott, a long-time friend and
absolutely devoted to Flora, despite the appalling treatment that she
receives at the latter's hands. Is her faith in God and
flower-arranging enough to fill the holes in her empty life? |
Jim, the gardener, is the calm voice of reason
and a great comfort
to Felix in his hour of need, as well as being a good friend to the
colony of bees who escaped Flora's recent purge. You never know when
you might need a bee. |
Review by Keith Pollard
The
Players had to overcome a little local difficulty that occurred when
the Box Office opened – very few people wanted to book seats. This may
have been partly because they were put off by the notion that the play
was a re-working of Hamlet, while others reacted to the note that
strong language was in evidence here and there, but overall it appeared
that they hadn’t heard of the play and didn’t bother to give it a
chance. With very good word of mouth reports around as opening night
approached, the bookings finally started to get to the levels the
excellent play deserved.
A 2001 National Theatre success,
Humble Boy is a multi-layered mix of high comedy and deeply moving
pathos in a seriously dysfunctional family, delivered by a well nigh
faultless cast of six, and directed meticulously by Aisling
Tigwell. Leading the piece was Tom Miller as Felix Humble, an
astrophysicist, nervously stuttering his way through life. Indeed, his
inter-personal relationship skills had inter-planetary scale gaps. This
was an excellent and sustained characterisation in which you could
watch the cogs turning, neatly timed and comic as a result. Flora, his
self-indulgent mother, was made formally and arrogantly real by Kerry
Gentleman, the aloof poseur, finger-wagging at her son, treating her
‘friend’ Mercy as a skivvy, and enjoying the adoration of her bit of
rough, George Pye. Pye, possibly the most completely created character
in the show, was brought to life by Andy Godfrey, the coach fleet
operator living right on the bounds, and sometimes over them, of
gentility. To him, hilariously, fell the strong language, and it was a
mercy that the driest part of the garden, most in need of irrigation,
was the upstage row of floral containers. Rosie, Pye’s daughter and
Felix’s former girlfriend, was played by Imogen Willetts, new to
Fairlight and blessed with a delightfully expressive face. Clare Murray
was Mercy Lott, the oft-insulted but always willing helper to Flora, at
her absolute best in her before-supper Grace. But not really a woman
who should be trusted with the soup. Completing the six hander was
Keith Miller’s gardener Jim, pottering here and there throughout until
vitally telling at the end. He was possibly the ultimate temporally
diametric shift from Hamlet.
The evocative setting, by Trevor Lewing, was a garden, with
house off right, an arch up left, a bright white picket fence and some
well maintained grass, with the late James’ beehive up centre – an icon
typical of Keith Jellicoe – and Karen Spencer’s excellent backdrop.
Lighting, by Keith Miller and executed by Peter and Lucy Hogg, and
sound, by Andrew Mier, were both of an appreciably high order as, too,
were Sandi Mouzer’s wardrobe and Jenny Turner’s props. Alice Tigwell
was Stage Manager, ensuring the smooth changing of this and that, and
Charlotte Eastes, as prompt, had little to say for herself!
An evening memorable for a large supply of quality acting of a
decent script, even if not for deservedly packed full houses. Fairlight
residents and other local am dram aficionados would do well to remember
that the Fairlight Players have only very seldom sold their patrons
short, and can usually offer a most pleasing and satisfying production
experience, and it will hardly ever prove wrong to trust them as soon
as the Box Office is open, even if you have never heard of the play on
offer.
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Review by Anne Lawson (NODA)
I
really did not know that there were over 250 different types of bee in
the UK – 25 of these bumble bees, one a honeybee and the others
solitary bees! Some interesting literature was available which I have
found interesting and the little A5 leaflet programme with an original
artwork design front cover was particularly well put together.
Marking
the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings this was an appropriate
play, perhaps not always comprehensible in scientific terms but an
interesting insight into relationships and individual characters. Six
talented actors brought this play to life and rocked our emotions
throughout. The lead stereotype is reversed in this piece and is
paralleled with the social structure of the beehive – its queen being
the prominent being. Such is the character of Flora known as ‘Bunny’.
Not a huge matinee audience, but certainly an appreciative one and
yes some of the language was ripe but was real for the character and
somehow didn’t seem offensive, a modern Hamlet perhaps. Subjects
varying from physics to astrology, bees and beekeeping, Latin flora
names from a ghost gardener – what a mix! Great touches of comedy
intertwined, a mix up of seasonings in the soup, poor downtrodden
Mercy, vain streaks from Flora with her ’nose job,’ ,her chalk and
cheese relationship with self-made ‘Fly Pye’ semi-retired coach company
owner. Script throughout was well mastered.
The Humble hive is not in a good state. Cambridge astro physicist
Felix is searching for a unified field theory and his passionate belief
in black holes. He has returned to his Moreton family home and somewhat
overbearing mother rather cruel mouthed, due to the sudden death of his
Father. He subsequently discovers that his father was stung by one of
his precious bees, dying from the anaphylactic shock, the reason why
his mother has had the bees removed with only the hive remaining. Set
in a beautifully tended summer lawned garden, with a perfect blue sky,
flowered archway, white picket fence, colourful shrubs and border
plants, a wall hanging basket, a pair of patio windows leading into the
house. Apron corner was a garden bench, together with a very special
blooming rampant Josephine Bruce red rose. All beautifully constructed
by Trevor Lewing and his team, with backdrop courtesy of Karen Spencer,
numerous excellent props from Jenny Turner and Keith Jellicoe’s
speciality - an illuminated beehive.
The technicians using new
equipment had Keith Miller programming the new lighting equipment, with
Peter and Lucy Hogg operating plus Andrew Mier overseeing noises and
levels.
Tom Miller mastered his character rather well throughout
as Felix appearing on opening in cricket whites, his stutter quite
apparent. He really is not coping well. Disturbed as to where his late
Father’s ashes should be scattered, sadly even contemplation of
suicide. With his brilliant mind his task should have been a simple one
but not for poor Felix. A brief fling with Rosie, now nurse, daughter
of George the widow’s prospective new husband, after a long-term affair
resulted in the birth of a daughter, who she obviously adores. Felix is
last to learn this fact, his Mother cruelly having kept the truth from
him. Kerry Gentleman plays the part of Flora Humble with style, with
wonderful elegance, great hurt and vanity who ultimately decides she
will not marry George, who pleads with her to no avail. Mercy Lott is a
spinster with a secret crush on George, is a willing neighbour and
would do anything for Flora. Clare Murray plays this character with
bold colours after the funeral blacks but according to Flora the wrong
shoes, we really feel for this downtrodden lady. Andy Godfrey returns
to Fairlight giving an excellent characterization of George who’s
larger than life, sporting light slacks and a blazer, earphones blaring
Glen Miller, is really loud and foul mouthed. Great performance. Imogen
Willetts, her first role at Fairlight played a different kind of role,
usually musical, as strong minded, determined to stay single, a loving
mother who was not averse to leading poor Felix on sexually. Casually
dressed – with some very good scenes with Felix. Pottering throughout
the play, a gentle gardener wearing a panama, very knowledgeable who
really is invisible. A lovely part played sympathetically by Keith
Miller. All this gelled with the direction of Aisling Tigwell who
believed in this work. A good result and a big thankyou to the behind
the scenes hard working team, F O H, refreshment ladies, and those in
charge of the raffle – where I was lucky and won a prize!
Thank you for your splendid offering.
Anne Lawson
NODA SE
Regional Representative
District 3
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