Review: Just Between Ourselves, Theatre Royal Windsor

SEEING two Alan Ayckbourn plays within two weeks – Absent Friends in Henley, then Just Between Ourselves in Windsor – brought on major theatrical indigestion.

It also hardened the impression that, while Ayckbourn was the toast of the theatrical world in the Seventies, his writing and topics rarely translate well to the 21st century.

Been there, heard all that is one’s first reaction. Yes, the cast of Just Between Ourselves performed faultlessly as one would expect from a London Classic Theatre cast of loyal performers. Yes, the set in the garage with the Mini was alright, even though in the original version the patio of the house plays a far more major part and was tucked away in one corner of the stage in this production. One wonders why?

But the play itself? While putting on anything by Alan Ayckbourn is almost guaranteed to put “bums on seats”, especially coach party “bums” – the bread and butter of many a theatre today – as his name is so familiar, his arguments are somewhat dated by standards of today’s theatregoers.

That said, it is sad to have to realise that there is many a Dennis in English marriages of today – husbands who never listen to their wives and are almost always happier in their man cave – and who finally drive their frustrated, neglected wife to silence and ultimately, in this case, to end her wretched life.

Dennis and Vera, his wife, were well played by Tom Richardson and Holly Smith. Tom Richardson gives a fine performance as he struggles to find even one redeeming feature in Dennis (try to find one yourself!), while Holly Smith is relentlessly wretched within the marriage.

Dennis is clearly crazy about his mother, Marjorie, well played by Connie Walker, while he uncaringly dismisses his wife’s needs, let alone her long forgotten desires.

Neil and Pam, the unwilling or unable Mini car buyers, who later, mysteriously, become close friends with Dennis and Vera, are also well played by Joseph Clawser and Helen Phillips.

Let Just Between Ourselves be a warning to Generation Z, who are of course not yet theatregoers or married: marriage is not all it promises to be and can drive many a good woman to desperation.

Vera has been a good woman in her younger years but all the laughing criticism and neglect over the years by Dennis drives her to her eventual end. Pam makes an attempt to revive some passion in Dennis but to no avail.

The scene in the garage for Marjorie’s (naturally) birthday with Pam and Dennis caught up in the Mini, Dennis giving misunderstood orders as ever, with Marjorie being chased by a newly awakened Vera was well directed and its slapstick humour did elicit one of the few laughs from the very unresponsive audience of the night.

Just Between Ourselves is credited as being Ayckbourn’s “coming of age” play in that it was his move away from pure humour, for which he was so well known, to more black humour, sad though that may be.

He is certainly a master of showing truth through humour, even truths which we may not want to see. Some lines will make you smile as we all do in the face of tragedy.

Picture credit: Will Green Photography