MAURICE'S JUBILEE AT THE NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM
Theatre Run: Wednesday 6 - Saturday 9 March 2013
Performance Reviewed: Wednesday 6 March (Press Night)
Reviewed by Kyle Pedley
So much of Maurice’s Jubilee springs from nostalgia, reflection and memories of yesteryear that it is unsurprising to find this charming piece of theatre as a whole lives and breathes as something of an endearing reminder of theatre productions and drama pieces of old in and of itself. Offering shades of Alan Bennett and occasional hints of Mike Leigh, Jubilee is a treat; a quality demonstration of writing, acting and direction that feels both fresh and established at once.
We enter the home of Maurice Hodger (Julian Glover), struck with terminal cancer and approaching his 90th birthday when he is convinced he will be visited by Her Majesty the Queen after a supposed encounter and promise made with her the day before her coronation 60 years prior. His wife Helena (Sheila Reid) believes it to be a whimsical fantasy, though as the play progresses shadows of resentment and marital struggles come to the surface under the shadow of Maurice’s lifelong dedication and obsession with HRH. Nichola McAuliffe (also the plays author) completes the ensemble as Kate, the single, never-married middle-aged nurse whom comes to live with the Hodgers to assist Maurice in what have been diagnosed as his final weeks.
