Review 3

 This, from the Morning Star:

'PETER LAWFORD is the subject of the one-man show currently playing at the Old Red Lion Islington. And if you’re wondering who Peter Lawford is, you can be forgiven. For despite a life of fame, his name seems now assigned to obscurity.

Peter Lawford was once synonymous with Hollywood, and in it from its ascendancy from low budget, experimental cinema to worldwide dominance of people’s money and dreams. He appeared in no less than 57 films, with many further TV appearances. The first of his four wives was President Kennedy’s sister, Patricia. He was romantically linked with numerous hot Hollywood legends and a close friend of Marilyn Monroe. Oh and he was a member of the Rat Pack alongside Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Junior. In other words, in the eyes of celebrity worshippers, he had it all.

This hour-long play sets out to disabuse us of our envy. And, in so doing, connects us precisely and fundamentally with the ubiquitous also-ran.

It’s a kind of confessional, told to us by Lawford from the intimacy of his private room in rehab. It’s Christmas Eve 1983. That he is only exactly a year from death seems inevitable, even though he is still pulsing with life. Indeed, even though he is alone and in penury, what the evening brings us is the full character of the man: not only his charm, wry self-awareness and intense fascination with the extraordinary serendipity of his own narrative, but also his essential puzzlement at his own behavioural aspects he can’t explain.

And he communicates so much: that he was three-times divorced, potentially a closet-gay, often on the wrong side of fate (he turned down James Bond, judging the proposed first film doomed to failure), a high-level social operator who in the end was used and abused by the Kennedys and Sinatra alike, and – inevitably – a victim of free-flowing drink and drugs.  

What is excellent here is the gripping unfolding – and enacting – of the story, the first-hand, personal take on this world of such intrigue and heightened glamour, but most of all – and much more engrossing than any straight tale of the stars – is the close and open access to the soul of a man who is a loser even as he wins. That speaks to all of us. And it’s awash with wit and humour.

Writer Peter Briffa crafts this bijou tale superbly, telling it with a lightness and self-deprecation that connects directly with the audience. It’s a hard look at the grime behind the glamour and at the power structures in America in 1983 that seem like a portent of what we have now.

The play is a splendid showcase for actor Jonathan Hansler who easily engages our empathy while playing an array of characters, male and female, and almost exclusively famous. A heartfelt tour de force. And Owain Rose’s skilled direction ensures pace, variety and purposeful momentum to keep us riveted.

An easy and rewarding evening'.

I like that. Had to quote it all.

Review 2

This is from a Youngish Perspective:

'Briffa’s writing is rich and witty, while also providing moments of reflective pathos... It Happened to Me remains a compelling and accomplished piece of writing, offering a fascinating and often poignant portrait of a life lived intensely — and ultimately at great cost.'

It's nice to know that some youngish people like it. Whenever I told people I was writing a play about Peter Lawford, most people looked at me blankly.  Maybe only ten people said 'Oh, the Rat Pack guy'. And they were all over forty. Maybe, if the play were a one man show from Frank Sinatra, maybe we'd probably have sold out every night even if the play wasn't much cop. Maybe. My only quibble this time is the claim that Lawford gets interrupted by phone calls from Johnny Cash. In fact, he doesn't get a single phone call from anyone during the play, let alone from the fabled folk singer. Sure, he imagines a few. Still...

Review. 1

 Amazing how time flies. Last time I posted I was promoting the show. Now it’s done, but the memory lives on. I thought the production went well, even better than last time. The script was tighter, which helped cast, director and audience. We got three reviews, all good, and I shall discuss them one by one.

First, this one, by Everything Theatre.

'Hansler makes Lawford seem increasingly sympathetic even if his actions have at times been misguided, and it’s generally a superb performance... there’s a great deal to admire about the play. Hansler captures Lawford’s charm and wry sense of humour, and while the occasional line is stumbled over, it’s a performance that captivated for the entire hour. The script is sharp, there’s some amusing audio only cameos, and its bursting with intriguing anecdotes'.

I hate to quibble. But let’s face it, if I can’t, no one else will. The line about there being no credible source for his sexual peccadilloes… well, does an ex- girlfriend count? And as for my claiming Peter Lawford wasn’t in Ocean’s 11. Well, I can see where Alex Finch got this from, namely this:

“I was up for two more Rat Pack pictures. I got replaced by Bing Crosby. Ocean’s 11? That was my idea. At least I met a guy on the beach who pitched it to me, and I pitched to Frank, and it made the money for all of us. I kept everyone afloat’.

So I can see the ambiguity, but yes, for the record, Peter Lawford was in Ocean’s 11. I’ve seen it.

Anyway, it’s a nice review, really, and if we ever do the play again I shall perhaps clarify this.

Do it again? Of course we’ll do it again. Having got this far, we’re not just going to leave it to history.