Fairy delightful
Upon its premiere in 1881, Foggerty’s Fairy was described by The Era as “a piece of the wildest absurdity ever perpetrated”. Modern audiences may not find themselves feeling quite as violated as The Era reviewer clearly did, and yet Chris Outen’s production of Foggerty’s Fairy does certainly cling on to the naturally absurd elements of this farce.
Frederick Foggerty (Laith Dilaimi), engaged to the naïve Jennie (Anna Sowerbutts), prevents his fiancée discovering his affair with the cash laden, older woman, Delia Spliff (Bethany Remely), by having a fairy called Rebecca (Laura Penny) change the course of history. As we all know alternative universes created by fairies never work out, and Foggerty is thrust into a confusing world in which Jennie is due to marry his best friend. And he is still having an affair with a middle-aged woman.
Although this one’s called Malvina (Meriel Patrick). Chaos and calamity naturally ensue. Energetic performances from the cast certainly bring Gilbert’s script to life, but occasionally this vigour is a little overpowering and one senses that the actors’ obvious enthusiasm could have been harnessed into a slightly more finely tuned production. As it is, the production rattles through at an unbelievable pace which sometimes leaves one feeling a little left behind. In places, jokes fall flat.
Malvina’s announcement that she just wants to “drink [Foggerty] up” is followed by a particularly long instance of her blinking in his face. After about three seconds this gets rather tiresome. Nevertheless, several exchanges are sublimely timed and a joy to watch, particularly those between Jennie and Walkinshaw. Laith Dilami is brilliantly bouncy as the blustering Foggerty and Philip Scott delivers a perfectly judged performance of the typically inept English gentleman Walkinshaw.
Director Outen describes the impetus for putting on Foggerty’s Fairy as being that in 1881 the concept “that changing a tiny event in the past can totally mess up the present was entirely new plot territory”. In 2006 however, there is a danger that the audience will leave Foggerty’s Fairy feeling they’ve seen it all before.
18th May 2006