The Play: Come Rain or Come Shine
Where: The Melbourne Theatre Company - Southbank Theatre
Until: 23 July
Stars: 4
So, here is my quandry. Do you read the book before you go see the play of the book? Or in this case, the short story. Written by an author you admire, and it's only 50 pages long, and does this enhance or diminish your experience?
Jay and I read Kazou Ishiguro's nuanced masterpiece of a story of the same name before going to see this fantastic adaptation by Tim Finn. Jay wished she went in raw, I rather appreciated that I knew what was going to happen in this little gem of a musical. Even more so because, being raised on the Great American Songbook as a child, I got why the music was so important to Emily and Charlie. (For those not familiar with The Great American Songbook, thing of the songs of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald... just watch any movie from the 50s and 60s - Amy Winehouse covered a lot of standards in her time.)
This is another gem from the Melbourne Theatre Company.
The MTC's website describes the story as such:
"Ray (Angus Grant), Emily (Gillian Cosgriff) and Charlie (Chris Ryan) have been the best of friends since university. As students, Ray and Emily bonded over their mutual adoration of the Great American Songbook, while Emily fell in love with Ray’s roommate, Charlie – despite his terrible taste in music. Nearly thirty years later, Emily and Charlie are happily married and there’s always a bed for Ray at their place when he visits from overseas. But on Ray's latest sojourn, Charlie has a favour to ask that could change everything."
And one must remember that Ishiguru is the master of understatement - just look at The Remains of the Day for that. But this little story about friends, and the lengths we go for friendship is just wonderful, and this play takes every detail of the short story and incorporates it into this hour and 45 minute production, where no question is really answered, though we can surmise. The open questions left at the end of the short story are there. Small details found in the text - the purple notebook, the recipe made by Ray, Charlie's reasons why he's gone abroad - everything is in there. And I loved it. Would I have found this even funnier if I didn't know what happened - possibly - but this is very well done.
Tim Finn's music and lyrics fit seemless with the music intrinsically found here - as the standards are discussed and dissected by Emily and Ray over the play. These two get each other through their love of this music - and you have to half wonder why Emily went off with Charlie at the end of university - but thems the breaks. Carolyn Burns is faithful to a faunt to the short story. I was wondering how they could turn a 50 page short story into a play, but this has been done with finesse.
And it is funny. Very funny. And sweet. And inciteful.
And it's definitely worth a view.
I have to say, I left the theatre wishing I had somebody to talk about music like Ray and Emily talk music. I want somebody to dance with to the old Great American Songbook standards. I loved this play about old friends and new times and the truths, and lies we tell.
This is definitely worth a look. It wonderfully done.
The MTC are having a great year.
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