What a fascinating, intriguing, thrilling premise this James Joyce actioner has! Imagine if the Irish writer of Ulysses, one of the most lauded books ever published, exchanged correspondence with one of the world’s most famous comedians. Yes, Joyce and Groucho Marx in regular communication, after Groucho reached out to Joyce having acquired a first edition of Ulysses.
He does so because he admires passages of Joyce’s writing within it, but is frustrated and totally perplexed by other elements of the text. And so begins an exchange, in which both open up about troubling issues in their lives, including partners, their respective daughters, financial turmoil and ill health. At the nub of their newfound “friendship” though is mutual admiration: Marx for Joyce’s writing and Joyce for Marx’s movies.
But that is only the start of this alluring tale, set in two time periods – 1937 and 1987. After Marx’s passing, his granddaughter reaches out to young Oxford literary graduate Dr Pandora Friedan and engages her to catalogue his treasure trove of belongings. Marx was highly cultured and corresponded with the likes of E.B. White (think, Charlotte’s Web), T.S. Eliot, Irving Berlin and Woody Allen.
He kept everything – his exchanges with fans and the letters to and from Joyce, amongst them. The discovery of the missives shared between Marx and Joyce is regarded as the find of a lifetime. So it is that Pandora turns to a bombastic Oxford heavyweight, Professor Murray Dalton, who is working on publishing all of Joyce’s correspondence.
She wants Dalton to include the Marx letters, which he had no knowledge of, and to give her editor’s credit for that particular volume. Easier said than done, for Dalton is nothing but self-serving and entitled (under his imprimatur, the patriarchy thrives). Dalton isn’t a man to be trusted, though – unbeknown to him – he and Pandora have family history.
To borrow a phrase from Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” I couldn’t get enough of what playwright Steve Carey, who specialises in James Joyce, had to offer. I have seen a fair slice of his output, and this is the finest and most accessible piece of work he has produced.
It is a beauty, for it has several cleverly interwoven threads. Not just the relationship between Marx and Joyce, and Pandora and Dalton, but that between Dalton’s busy, travelling saleswoman mother Mary and Pandora. So, too, a surprising, revelatory interview that Dalton is giving to BBC radio host Jill Snow on Bloomsday (the annual June 16th celebration that honours Joyce). I was genuinely excited by what I was seeing. At its core is academic theft.
The performances of the five actors who inhabit their respective roles are potent – each excelling in their characterisations. Seon Williams is unashamedly enthusiastic and oh so diligent as Pandora. Tref Gare is detailed, self-congratulatory and sullen as Joyce. Scott Middleton is dressed to the nines by slick costume designer Zach Dixon to exaggerate his representation of Marx. Middleton has no shortage of fun with his part, as he continues to pepper us with Marx zingers. Shannon Woollard is short tempered and pretentious as Dalton. Christina Costigan is adept at tackling the dual roles of concerned mother Mary and confident BBC interviewer Jill.
Couple that with eye-catching staging by Ishan Vivekanantham on two levels. On the ground, there is a proliferation of cardboard document storage boxes and filing cabinets. A step up sees Marx and Joyce going toe to toe (in different locales) with minimalist furnishings. Showcasing the period are five single bulb vintage style pendant lights. It all works a treat.
Highly attractive musical interludes by sound designer Inder Singh punctuate the piece, while mood setting lighting by Lindon Blakey goes a long way. Director Renee Palmer has delivered in spades. The action keeps moving at pace. I was drawn in and held tightly throughout. Eighty minutes without interval, Between the Lines: The James Joyce/Groucho Marx Letters is inspired.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Samuel Beckett & The Rainbow Girl (St Martin’s Theatre) – theatre review
- Circe’s Carnival of Vice (fortyfivedownstairs) – theatre review
- Exiles (fortyfivedownstairs) – theatre review
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.