You Can’t Take It With You
Hart and Kaufman’s Pulitzer-prize winning celebration of love and unconventionality over money and narrow conformity is an American classic.
But in Britain, where it hasn’t received a major airing since Michael Bogdanov directed a National Theatre production in 1983, a revival is overdue.
Its thirties backdrop of recession and Wall Street’s limitations is acutely relevant to our sub-prime times and, at the micro-level, the portrayal of the excruciatingly embarrassing Sycamore family is perennially true.
The only potential barriers to bringing it across the Atlantic are the play’s strong moral undercurrent and tidy, happy ending.
But director Gavin McAlinden’s lightness of touch makes us feel its lack of cynicism is merely the light relief we have earned and the humour is cumulatively effective.
A sprawling cast ranges from Maria Bonner as the elegant Alice, who has difficulty seeing the funny side, to her pirouetting sister Essie, played by a convincingly clumsy Sarah Wildor - in life a former principal ballerina with The Royal Ballet - to Solo as Groucho, the extremely dainty kitten.
Presiding calmly over all is Gawn Grainger as Martin Vanderhoff, grandfather and custodian of the Sycamore family values.
The array of characters performs against Vicki Fifield’s maximalist set that takes full advantage of Southwark Playhouse’s expansive new venue.
Production information
- By:
- Moss Hart and George S Kaufman
- Management:
- Charm Offensive
- Cast:
- Gawn Grainger, Sarah Wildor, Carolyn Lyster, Maria Bonner, Matt Barber
- Director:
- Gavin McAlinden
- Design:
- Vicki Fifield
- Sound:
- Matt Downing
- Lighting:
- Paul Colwell
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Run sheet
- Southwark Playhouse London
- October 29-November 17 2007
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