The American Plan, penned by US playwright Richard Greenberg in the 1990s, is recognisably inspired by the Henry James novel Washington Square, a book Hollywood-ised in 1949 as The Heiress and starring Olivia De Havilland and Montgomery Clift; yet Greenberg lends a refreshing edge to this once melodramatic piece of Victorian literature. Director David Grindley well deserves the acclaim he received on its first outing in New York and more recently at the Theatre Royal Bath. It’s a real treat to see the play now making its presence felt here in London.
The setting might have been updated from the stuffy drawing rooms of Henry James to the 1960s and the American holiday resort of the Catskills, just 100 miles north of New York, but the atmosphere is perfectly pitched and just as tense. Lili, played by the exceptional Emily Taaffe, is the daughter of wealthy German-Jewish Eva (Diana Quick), fighting the control of a mother who seems hell bent on keeping her from having a life of her own or, so it seems, any kind of independence. Diana Quick may be best remembered for her role in the 1970s television adaptation of Brideshead Revisited, but she has never been more sublime or commanding.
The American Plan unravels, almost by stealth, giving us all a false sense of security with a script rich in humour, well-developed characterisations and an illuminating study on class, sex and betrayal. Each new character invites us to believe their own perspective and after Lili meets Nick (Luke Allen-Gate) by the lake we’re not sure what to believe. Does Eva take Nick into her confidence by sharing Lili’s history or is she merely dripping the poison? A psychological power struggle, this compelling and cryptic piece of theatre allows the audience to laugh and puzzle over who is the manipulator and who is the manipulated. Olivia, Eva’s black housekeeper, played by the terrific Dona Croll, is perhaps the most intriguing character and the only one who never reveals her past. We can’t elaborate further without spoiling the ending…
The Arbuturian, in association with the St James Theatre, was delighted to offer 15 lucky readers and a guest top price tickets for The American Plan last week. We were even more delighted that so many of our guests later took the time to share with us their thoughts on the production and their experience of visiting the St James Theatre:
Alexandra Boyd, actress, writer and director, said:
“My sister and I LOVED the play. Beautifully acted and subtly directed by David Grindley, the slow burn of the story as it picks up pace, everyone with a lie or a secret they are hiding that beautifully, and sometimes completely surprisingly, unfolds. Thoroughly enjoyable piece of theatre that even though it was written 23 years ago and set 50 years ago resonates with contemporary sexuality and social politics. Wonderful…
And what a great setting: The theatre is beautiful and such a treat to visit. I’ve never been in such a new space. We commented how we could smell the new carpet. We didn’t eat at the restaurant but I will make plans to next time I come to a show. You clearly plan on having high calibre performances and I’m sure The Queen is very happy to have you as her neighbour.”
Vivienne Collier said:
“I took my 18-year-old son with me and we thoroughly enjoyed the play. All the actors were wonderful, especially Diana Quick who was great in her role. A very well cast play indeed. We will certainly be going back to St James Theatre. It was our first time last night and we hadn’t heard about it before The Arbuturian competition. It is a lovely place and the cafe was very handy for a bite to eat before the show!”
Other Comments:
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“It was amazing, a tough story-line beautifully acted and staged.”
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“The performance was great. Thank you again for the opportunity to see such a riveting play. Much appreciated.”
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“Lili endeavoring to deal with her controlling and endlessly manipulative mother was intriguing and absorbing. There were some great surprises and ‘shocks’ as the story developed. I found the whole issue of deceit, personal dishonesty and the desire to live a personal charade as a means of getting what you really want an interesting theme. For me it triggered memories of ‘American Beauty’ and the American Dream is somehow a grand illusion. The performances were great as was the casting. Diana Quick as Eva was absolutely compelling. All in all a rich and intense experience and one to be treasured.”
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“After not knowing much about The American Plan or the work produced at the new St James Theatre I was glad this was the first show I saw at the beautiful new Victoria venue. The staff were very knowledgable and friendly, the theatre still had that ‘new theatre’ smell! The play’s themes of love and loss were very clear and as the performance was predominantly naturalistic the set design and director had complemented each other by using a simplistic set that had us intrigued from the very first entrance. The acting ability of the cast was what kept me laughing and shocked me at points but to tell you when would spoil the plot. I hope there is a life further for this production, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this transfer to the West End.”
The American Plan runs until 10th August 2013 at the St James Theatre, London. For more information and tickets, visit the website.
