Humdrum are back at The Spring with Mary Chase’s classic story of a man comfortable in his own skin and how confusing that is for the people around him.
Director Caz Gilmore wisely focuses on the personalities of the sometimes crudely drawn characters in the play, allowing her actors to exaggerate themselves to offset the calm contentment of Ben Counter’s jovial Mr Dowd. His calm demeanour and earnest (no pun intended) wish to befriend everyone he meets are heart-warming and Counter exudes this warmth perfectly, bringing charisma and tenderness to the role. He sells us the existence of Harvey with every pause in conversation, glance and knowing nod.
Counter is surrounded by a hugely able cast who revel in the opportunity to take their characters over the top. Sheila Elsdon’s turn as Elwood’s high-society sister is a glorious highlight as she somehow finds herself caught up in trying to have her brother sectioned.
A particular delight is Sally Evans’ Miss Johnson. The maid doesn’t have many words to offer us but says so much with every roll of the eyes and shrug – a wonderful example of how much can be conveyed without words!
A well designed set is used excellently, with a number of lovely little touches of decoration. Unfortunately such intricacy comes at the cost of a drawn out set change when we move from sitting room to psychiatrist’s office but the flow is soon resumed.
Harvey may have a whiff of the old-fashioned about its story of a man who is judged by all those around him simply for having found a way to be happy is one that still rings true and the charm of the script, the cast and the direction make it shine!
"I'm just focused on getting that third trophy and enjoying the rest of my time with the guys here." David Goodwin on preparing for Playoff Finals Weekend
photo courtesy of William Cherry, Press Eye It’s EIHL playoff final weekend! After eight months of toil, four teams will face off for the chance to lift the last silverware of the season. First up Belfast Giants take on Cardiff Devils so I caught up with David Goodwin to see how the team are feeling after a battle against Dundee Stars and how ready they are for the games ahead. It was, I suggest, an intense weekend for the team. “Yeah, I mean it was. It always is. The quarterfinals… you never know what you're going to get.” Goodwin replies. “On one hand, you have us, the Giants, who are coming off a league title win, so we're on a high. But then you got Dundee, who don't want to go away quietly. They were fighting and scratching and clawing for every inch and it lead to two feisty games. “I give Dundee a lot of credit. They threw everything they had at us. But ultimately, I think our consistent play, maybe some of our higher skill was able to shine through and get the...
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