'Shirley Valentine' at The Menier Chocolate Factory

On Saturday afternoon we ventured up to London Bridge to see the matinee of 'Shirley Valentine' at the Menier Chocolate Factory starring Meera Syal. It's playing in repertory with another Willy Russell play, 'Educating Rita', and both have just opened. It's nice to see new seating in the Choccy Factory which is much more comfortable than the usual padded benches.

I've seen the film of 'Shirley Valentine' (with Pauline Collins) but never seen the play on stage so it was a pleasant surprise to realise it was actually a one-woman play with Shirley - Meera - speaking directly to the audience for the whole play. At least when she wasn't talking to the Wall or the Rock. Meera comes on stage into the kitchen set and starts talking to us, telling us about her life and family, drinking a glass of white wine to help the day flow and casually makes chips and fried eggs for her husband's dinner, and she does make the dinner on stage. We gradually learn that somewhere along the line the vibrant human being called Shirley Valentine has married, become domestic, had children and lost that spark of life that makes her a unique human being. Shirley is 42 and life has passed her by. But her friend, Brummy Jane, has bought her a ticket to Corfu for a holiday ... and the second half is set on the beach in Corfu where Shirley rediscovers the glorious human being who is Shirley Valentine.

Meera is excellent. You'd expect her to get the comedy lines and timing just right but I found the introspective sections very moving, when she realises her age and wonders where her life has gone and how little she seems to have lived. When she lowered her voice you could have heard a pin drop, we all hung on her next word. She could have made us laugh or cry with a few words, and that's a powerful actress with a powerful script and the ability to hold us all in the palm of her hand and keep us there for the duration of the play. I was very impressed.

Of course, there were some downsides. Like the kitchen set which was a perfect mid-80s recreation except it looked a lot like mine ... the cupboards were the same as I have in my kitchen. I need to upgrade at some point but thanks for rubbing it in! The other is that I'm going to be the cause of her divorce. I swear that when Meera was talking about meeting her holiday romance on Corfu and repeating him saying 'You think I want to make fuck with you' that she was looking right at me. Perhaps it's because I was stroking my beard at the time (does she have a beard fetish?) but I have no doubt I was the focus of that scene... Sorry Sanjeev!

There were some unscheduled light moments too, like when Meera walked to the back of the stage when it's laid out as a beach and something went *crack* and Meera quipped, quick as you please, 'Oops, I think I've killed something' looking at her foot. The audience was in gales of laughter at that. And at the end while we're applauding and she directs some of the applause to the Rock at the front of the stage.

I thoroughly enjoyed the play and enjoyed Meera's performance. I'd happily go again. The play is on for a month or so so get tickets while you can - runs at the Choccy Factory tend to sell out quite quickly so do yourself a favour and buy tickets now.

Thanks Meera!