REVIEW -- THE POSITIVE HOUR by APRIL de ANGELIS

Performed by 3rd Year Acting Students of
The University of Central Lancashire

St Peter's Arts Centre, Preston
Thursday 23 to Saturday 25 March 2006

Photo: Brian Slater

The Positive Hour by April de Angelis was first produced in 1997 at the innovative Hampstead Theatre. It deals with group therapy in a social services situation and the dynamics thereof, almost entirely from a woman's perspective.

It is to my mind a flawed piece. Its portrayal of a feminism of yesteryear gave out a strong, now dated 1970s -- 1980s feel. The Positive Hour's dramatic construction also left me unsatisfied, with its loose ends, almost nihilistic negativity and lack of cohesion of themes -- it's as if de Angelis' sole aim was to talk about 'wimmin', for the sake of doing so, for two hours.

All that said, the play and, from the audience's point of view, the evening out are not irredeemable. Taking this piece on is undoubtedly a big challenge, and the final year students were more than up for it. There was some wonderfully sparkling dialogue which managed to recall by turns Alan Bennett, Mike Leigh and even Harold Pinter. There were opportunities for the skilful manipulation of the dramatic narrative, and the plot had sufficient situation development to create and sustain audience interest.

Under the shrewd and imaginative direction of Ruth Quinn, the cast of seven gave some very impressive portrayals of the vivid if flawed characters. Oliver Pearce made a superb dithery and fifty-something academic (ouch!) who could have been Noam Chomsky, Bradbury's History Man or, indeed, several former colleagues I have worked with in certain Northern universities …

Of the women, Sureiya Asoko as the overstressed social worker Miranda, Hannah Burgess as the middle-class and sexually confused Emma all delivered colourful and robust performances. The rest of the cast also turned in excellent characterisation, comedy and pathos, though as some rôles were played by two actors on alternate nights I cannot comment on the unseen 'other' performances.

Teamwork and dramatic interplay and communication were of a high order. Movement, diction, setting, lighting and the numerous costume changes also showed a range of theatre techniques thoroughly understood and admirably practised.

Pace, too, was sharp and leisurely as the story unfolded. Quinn and the cast were fully alert to the comic potential of the text and the Wednesday night audience were quick on the uptake to join in the exuberance as well as the pathos. In other words, we were a lively, alert and occasionally raucous audience!

So whilst I have reservations about the play itself, and left wondering just what the playwright was trying to say to me, I have no hesitation in commending this excellent production as evidence of some good theatrical ability and no mean measure of disciplined, hard and professional work.

Playwright perhaps excepted, then, congratulations to all concerned.

Copyright © 23 March 2006 Michael Nunn

Useful Links

St. Peters Church Art Centre and Drama Studio, Prestonwww.uclan.ac.uk/other/artscentre

• The University of Central Lancashire
www.clan.ac.uk

• A review of the original production in The Financial Times:
www.compulink.co.uk/~shutters/reviews/97016.htm

• The Hampstead Theatre
www.hampsteadtheatre.com

• An interview with April de Angelis about The Positive Hour, 2002): mdx.ac.uk/rescen/NWPodia/NWpodEW