An Eligible Man

Published Wednesday 7 May 2008 at 11:10 by Jeremy Austin

An Eligible Man is a pleasant piece of theatre, a Radio 4-style play that presents us with identifiable characters, in a recognisable situation that is structured in an unchallenging way.

If published, it would no doubt become a staple on the amateur circuit, cast as it is with a preponderance of women, five to just two men.

It is a pleasantly enjoyable, if slightly too long, two hours. Topher Osgood is the eligible man in question - a successful former barrister, now judge, with a massive house in Hampstead, who is trying to mourn his recently deceased, perfect wife.

So eligible is he that his life quickly becomes a parade of easily describable single women, each with their own tragedy. Down to earth Lucille Moss with her home cooking and small town aspirations, Sally Maddox, the arty writer who offers intellectual stimulation, Lady Jo Henderson, an extremely wealthy woman with a lavish lifestyle and a figure to die for. The play’s best moments come when these three get together, trying to out do one another.

Graham Seed is Osgood and treads a measured line through the carefully constructed script. Ninon Jerome’s direction successfully mines the well plastered-over undercurrent, allowing Seed to fracture the middle-class veneer at choice moments.

The three women are well cast, although Sonia Saville as Lady Jo has little more than a familiar character to play with. Grainne Gillis finds a vulnerability beneath Maddox’s bounce, while Maggie Hallinan plays Lucille Moss so brash that it is a wonder she has any chance with the reserved judge.

But it is as his actress daughter Penge that Patricia Potter gives the outstanding performance of the piece, bringing a little colour to the otherwise fairly featureless proceedings.