Bolam brilliant

Press, 16 July 1980, Page 6

Bolam brilliant

By

HOWARD McNAUGHTON

“Time and Time Again,” by Alan Ayckbourn. • Directed by Ken Blackbum for Williams and Cooper Productions; Theatre /•Royal, July 15 to 26. Rimning time: 8.15 p.m. to 10.15 p.m. James Bolam’s; reputatibn aS a television actor is sb substantial that there is. a teridency to forget//; his distinguished stage career, especially at the Royal Court: the more introspective of the Likely Lads is a very common character.- type in British drama of’the 19605. ■ But from his first moment -on*, stage in this play, one •loses any sense of seeing yet another screen star in the flesh; whether he is being solemn, waggish,< bn r '. farcically irresponsible; Mr. Bolam ' seems to exist just for this play, and the.; response, of. the large l opening audience was one of complete immbr-

■ -a .'--A . sidn in whatever mood he happened to drift into. Comedy,: "of' course,'' dominates —‘ but; such is the depth of his. character creation that the emotional, span of the production is considerable. The script is a competent but undistinguished situational comedy; the eternal triangle is augmented by one min’S - sister and the other’s?' boss; a structure which finally collapses into one .of Ayckbourn’s familiar limp endings. . . However, the conventionality - of. the / script , is effectively . masked; ~by the quality of all: five performances, and;by lan Boswell’s highly If realistic set:, one wall, of -a brick house,.’a lean-to ■ conservatory,: a lawn, a brick wail,.a fishpond, and a shrubbery on the edge of a : sports field provide an ideal areni for . a series of comic 'encounters. y Often/ the action, is split, with? character groups segrcgatedixby;/ the. conservatory wall, and' most amusing L • -st A:

'first-act curtainA leaves Mr Bolam slowly submerging in the pond with Julie Dawn Cole, to the consternation of his brother-in-law. Julie Dawn Cole is the woman in whom all three men are interested, a fairly stereotyped role but one from which she extracts considerable warmth and-a degree of subtlety. Michael Haigh, ; as -f the pompous, opinionated boss, is the counterweight to James Bolam; the role is a cliche, but he handles it aggressively, particularly in his heavy responses. Lloyd Scott, as the likely loser, contributes to some very welltimed episodes' of rivalry, and Susan Wilson does the owner of the. property in ad appropriately apologetic manner. S/;a most enjoyable ... comedy, particutifying. for; its. harmonious? . combination .of