The Stage

Generous

Published Monday 11 January 2010 at 10:25 by Paul Vale

In 1979, Joe Clark, the youngest ever prime minister of Canada, was defeated in a vote of no confidence. From this nugget of Canadian political history, Michael Healy has crafted a work of fiction that aims to examine the nature of altruism, moral obligation and national pride. Indeed what may have turned into a dry social study has evolved into a riveting drama, expertly pitched and bristling with witty and acerbic dialogue. Healy appears to have channeled Coward for a contemporary comedy of manners, with the manners here ripped apart and analysed with forensic intensity.

Jane Perry (Julia) and Scott Christie (David Paul) in Generous at the Finborough Theatre Photo: Trsitram Kenton

Jane Perry is stupefyingly absorbing as the monstrous control freak Julia, stepping over everybody to achieve her goals and yet Perry still manages to find the humanity inside the beast.

Scott Christie as journalist David Paul represents the everyman who can merely nod and comply in a world dominated by stronger wills.

Karen Archer and Meghan Popiel as an estranged mother and daughter forge achingly realistic performances that echo the pain of their characters past and Richard Beanland is wonderful as the frustratingly analytical clerk Alex, the ‘I Love You’ guy who has slept with both of them.

There is an element of black humour throughout the script, handled slickly by the cast, particularly Rick Bland as the fried chicken-munching Richard and John Sheerman as the thwarted, spoiled Prime Minister.

Slick direction by Eleanor Rhode and a simplistic all-white design by Kim Alwyn and Aimee Sajjan-Servaes combine to make Generous an early high point in the London fringe calendar.