Mental
illness is something we take very seriously these days; but it
wasn’t always so. In 1971, when Neil Simon wrote The
Prisoner of Second Avenue, many of the psychological conditions
we refer to today, didn’t even have a name. And back then,
it was also perfectly acceptable for them to be the subject of
comedy – something most playwrights would think twice about
these days. As a result, the Queensland Theatre Company is taking
a bit of a risk in staging The Prisoner of Second Avenue
in its mainstage season.
But this is Neil Simon we’re talking about,
so the writing is naturally first-class. Director Jon Halpin also
makes a good call by staging it in its original 1970s setting,
without trying to update it. And it has to be said that it’s
not a play that readily commends itself to updating.
Sitting here in 2008, the play invites immediate
comparison with the television series Seinfeld; which
used a similar milieu. Like Jerry Seinfeld’s creation, the
play is set in a New York apartment; and while the action never
moves out of that apartment, the presence of the city is evident
in every scene. The characters too are quite comparable; with
the most obvious comparison being between the main character in
the play and the highly-strung George Costanza from the TV series.
In
his apartment near New York’s Second Avenue, Mel Edison
(Sean Taylor) is having trouble sleeping. He wanders the apartment
at night, disturbing his wife Edna (Jackie Weaver). Mel is seemingly
perplexed by little things – the music from the next door
apartment, the smell of garbage on the street – but Edna
suspects there may be something more. A break-in sees Mel and
Edna’s life literally turned upside down, and then it emerges
– Mel has been fired from his advertising job. This provokes
Mel to have what is rather quaintly referred to as a “nervous
breakdown”, prompting the appearance of his brother Harry
(Robert Coleby) and sisters Jessie (Karen Crone), Pearl (Sue Dwyer)
and Pauline (Barbara Lowing).
While The Prisoner of Second Avenue is
a very funny play, there’s a really dark edge to it. Simon’s
quips (often delivered through Mel’s mouth) are up there
with the likes of Woody Allen. But you can’t help but feel
that the play lacks a little empathy, particularly for the often-hapless
Mel. Whether modern audiences will relate to it is, I guess, debatable.
What’s entirely indisputable is the quality
of the cast assembled for this production. Sean Taylor is excellent
as Mel, and has possibly studied the film version of the play
with Jack Lemmon. His timing is impeccable, and his interaction
with Jackie Weaver as Edna is entirely believable. For her part,
Weaver finds some of the softer elements of her character, offsetting
some of the play’s harshness. Robert Coleby lends valuable
support as Harry, while Karen Crone, Sue Dwyer and Barbara Lowing
are a kind of grotesque Greek chorus as the painful sisters.
The Prisoner of Second Avenue, despite
its comedic pedigree, isn’t the most accessible play. It’s
certainly a lively production with great values, but it’s
a play that has dated to the extent that I’m not sure today’s
audience will warm to it.
Mental
illness is something we take very seriously these days; but it
wasn’t always so. In 1971, when Neil Simon wrote The
Prisoner of Second Avenue, many of the psychological conditions
we refer to today, didn’t even have a name. And back then,
it was also perfectly acceptable for them to be the subject of
comedy – something most playwrights would think twice about
these days. As a result, the Queensland Theatre Company is taking
a bit of a risk in staging The Prisoner of Second Avenue
in its mainstage season. 
In
his apartment near New York’s Second Avenue, Mel Edison
(Sean Taylor) is having trouble sleeping. He wanders the apartment
at night, disturbing his wife Edna (Jackie Weaver). Mel is seemingly
perplexed by little things – the music from the next door
apartment, the smell of garbage on the street – but Edna
suspects there may be something more. A break-in sees Mel and
Edna’s life literally turned upside down, and then it emerges
– Mel has been fired from his advertising job. This provokes
Mel to have what is rather quaintly referred to as a “nervous
breakdown”, prompting the appearance of his brother Harry
(Robert Coleby) and sisters Jessie (Karen Crone), Pearl (Sue Dwyer)
and Pauline (Barbara Lowing).