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A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewHarvey
Maureen Lipman as Veta Louise Simmons (Photo: Manuel Harlan) |
The first act centres on the hallway of Mr Dowd's home which he has escaped to spend time at bars in town. While he is away, Veta has invited some society ladies to afternoon tea in an attempt to network to find a husband for Myrtle Mae. The rather plain and dull Myrtle Mae is mortified by her uncle's behaviour of talking to his unseen friend Harvey, a white rabbit who is six foot tall. Apparently, insanity in the family is putting off all her suitors. After a premature return home by Elwood and Harvey, Vita decides that her brother must be certified and admitted to a psychiatric sanatorium.
Lipman is in her element as Veta and when this widow is mistaken for the patient there is some excellent fun to be had. When she has been taken through the sanatorium admission ritual, which involves a large and scary male nurse stripping her and giving her a cold bath, we enjoy the hubris as she suffers the fate intended for Elwood - a touch of Mrs Do As You Would Be Done By. When she reappears from this ordeal, she is a dishevelled vision with hair everywhere and a stocking rolled down round one calf and the physical comedy is delightful.
Despite the times in the first act when I felt the audience were respectfully silent rather than mirthful, the second act has decidedly more charm as we start to examine what function the invisible rabbit has for Elwood P. Dowd in his escape to a fantasy world. While James Stewart is an impossible act to follow, James Dreyfus demonstrates his affability when calming an unpaid taxi driver when Veta can't find her purse.
A chase around town to find the real patient doesn't succeed but we get to see Charlie's bar where Harvey and Elwood hang out. David Bamber is the head of the sanatorium Dr Chumley who makes us question the sanity of those running the asylum. Sally Scott is the young woman nurse who sorts everyone out.
I'm not sure what Lindsay Posner could have done to enliven the first act as it just feels too dated. The lavish box sets also convey staging from another era. Some of the American accents waver and Chumley has a kaleidoscope of English, American, Scottish and Irish- most peculiar.
Towards the end of the play some doors mysteriously open and close indicating the presence of an unseen person. I suspect on many a night during the six week run of Harvey there will be seats in this theatre filled by invisible bunny patrons.
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| Harvey
Written by Mary Chase Directed by Lindsay Posner Starring: James Dreyfus, Maureen Lipman, David Bamber, Desmond Barrit With:, Felicity Dean, Ingrid Oliver, Amanda Boxer, Sally Scott, Youssef Kerkour, Jack Hawkins, Linal Haft. Designer: Peter McKintosh Lighting: Howard Harrison Sound: Paul Groothuis Composer: Matthew Scott Running time: Two hours 30 minutes with an interval Box Office: 020 7930 8800 Booking to 2nd May 2015 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 23rd March 2015 performance at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HT (Tube: Piccadilly Circus) |
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