[title]
…And the sound of his own voice, apparently.
Billed as a look at the undeniably fascinating actress and comic Lucille Ball from the rare vantage point that author Lee Tannen held as her friend and confidant, the spotlight falls all too often on the author himself. Sandra Dickinson is funny and charming as the object of his ardour, but I couldn’t help agreeing when she said: ‘Lee, stop talking already’.
The small stage is taken over by a backgammon table, around which most of the action takes place. While the pair’s conversations are peppered with funny one-liners, it can feel a little stagnant. Is watching people play backgammon any better than watching paint dry? I’m not sure, but towards the end of the first act my eyelids were feeling heavy.
As Lucille’s health deteriorates and we see her becoming more fragile, the play picks up, offering a candid look at an aging star whose life is filled with backgammon, slushies and chatter about the past. If you’re a hardcore Ball fan, then titbits of gossip from Hollywood’s great and good might be entertaining; otherwise, these scenes can drag.
Matthew Bunn as Lee gives an enthusiastic performance; the main problem is that he’s not a particularly likeable character – a fame-obsessed neurotic, he becomes close to the star when she is at her most vulnerable, apparently superseding a husband and children who are barely given a mention.
The ending is pure cheese: Tannen bizarrely imagines the star as a white-tracksuit clad angel and they dance to close the play. Perhaps I’m lactose-intolerant, because it left me feeling nauseous.
I Loved Lucy is back at the Arts Theatre in 2017. This review is from its 2016 opening run.