Short, Back & Sides: Trim Reviews! Harvey (Stage Play) 2015

You can tell it will be a good night at the theatre when you book a cheap last minute ticket online and get upgraded to The Royal Circle on your arrival.  If this didn't put me in cheerful mood enough, there was always the rather refreshing barmaid who, on being complemented on her finger nails by one thirsty punter replied: "Oh no, don't look at them.  They're my holiday nails and they're crap!"  Good to feel an air of down-to-earthiness in theatre land these days.

And if one wishes to be relaxed then I feel Harvey is the show to see.  Not only is it a pleasant, sweet and immensely addictive story, but the cast themselves really do seem incredibly at ease - as if they're having the time of their lives in fact.

Who can blame them? The entire play is rich with flavour and oozing humour.  James Dreyfus is brilliantly infectious as Uncle Elwood - every endearing glance or grimace that he shoots the invisible Harvey has the audience rolling. Maureen Lipman is equally wonderful, with all the energy, technique and timing you would expect from such a veteran of stage and screen,  The faultless supporting cast only help maintain the class of the entire  production, including a lovely cameo from Linal Haft as a disgruntled cabbie who points out that after therapy, patients return from the asylum "as normal people....[basically] complete bastards."

For me Harvey is about imagination; or rather one's right to hang onto it.  It doesn't matter whether the rabbit exists or not; what matters is why as adults it is sometimes deemed mandatory to lose our wonder of life, and why those who refuse to, and manage to redeem a childish naivety are often looked down upon - at times even deemed incapable of looking after themselves.

Perhaps that says more about society's envy than about the individual involved? After all, I'd settle for a 100 Uncle Elwood's in my life over none at all.  And as far as I'm concerned, every one of them can bring along their pal Harvey to the party! 





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