Dustin Hoffman moved completely away from type when he played the autistic savant Raymond Babbitt for the cinema. Now Neil Morrissey does exactly the same in this touring version of Dan Gordon’s stage adaptation of the poignant, but never over-sentimental story of self-discovery and sibling bonding. No longer the Man Behaving Badly of television comedy, Morrissey gives a sensitive and moving performance as the dysfunctional autism sufferer, whose condition hides a remarkable talent for remembering numbers, capturing with impressive dignity the classic autistic symptoms of preoccupation with detail and communication difficulties.
Raymond - and his skill - are set free, first for financial gain but eventually through unequivocal brotherly love, by his foul-mouthed hustler of a younger brother Charlie, an even more difficult role for Oliver Chris, who succeeds in being largely unlikeable until quite close to the end but in many ways, carries the burden of the play.
His growing attachment to Raymond is forged during an American motel bedroom odyssey, ending up in the gambling halls of Las Vegas and peopled en route by the likes of Charles Lawson’s sympathetic psychologist and Ruth Everett’s feisty girlfriend.
The play is rather less manipulative than the film and is certainly not afraid to tackle disability issues within the framework of a commercial tour of major venues. It is directed by Robin Herford in episodic mode, through designs by Jonathan Fensom that suggest the dimensions of a movie screen.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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