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A CurtainUp Review
Some Kind of Bliss
By Nicole Watson
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On the Northern Line, I realize I’ve exiled myself from my own home. I am six hours
early. —Samuel Adamson
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Lucy Briers in Some Kind of Bliss
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Briers plays Rachel, an average journalist whose assignment is to interview pop legend and icon Lulu. The journey should be simple- travel from her flat in London to Lulu’s home in Greenwich. To escape her husband, Rachel leaves the house early and so her day begins. According to Rachel, there is nothing wrong with Geoffrey except for the fact that he is lovely—too lovely and too simple for someone who dreams of David Bowie.
We first meet Rachel as she is standing outside Lulu’s house, "after I’d had the electric sex, got clobbered, killed the dog and parked the hijacked ice-cream van." From there the play weaves back and forth in time from Rachel’s childhood days spent with her small-time rock star Uncle Stevie to the walk to Lulu’s house. Briers plays all of the characters including Geoffrey, Uncle Stevie, a 16 year old prostitute, and Dr. Felix, and old college flame.
Rachel’s journey to Lulu’s allows her to muse about loves, true and otherwise, as well as failed, and failing relationships. Underneath all of it, it seems that Rachel’s biggest problem is her relationship with the men in her life. While this may not be a new topic, Rachel’s lack of sentimentality and her sheer confidence even as she barrels willingly into her mistakes is a breath of fresh air.
Adamson’s writing is fresh and one wishes to be on the streets of London with Rachel. Given Adamson’s attention to detail and the specificity of Rachel’s pilgrimage, it was a shame that the set was just a few wooden planks on which Briers could traverse.
Briers moves seamlessly from one moment to the next, from ecstasy to despair and back again. The pop legend Lulu become irrelevant as Rachel is the one you want to watch.
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SOME KIND OF BLISS by Samuel Adamson Directed by Toby Frow Cast: Lucy Briers (Rachel) Set Designer: Lucy Osborne Lighting Design: Stephen Holroyd Composer and Sound Design: Richard Hammarton Running Time: 75 minutes with no intermission 59E59 Theaters59 E. 59th Street (212) 279-4200 From 6/11/08; opening 6/15/08; closing 6/29/08 Tuesday-Friday at 8:30 pm, Saturday at 2:30 pm and 8:30 pm Sunday at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm Tickets: $27.50 ($19.25 for 59E59 Members) Reviewed by Nicole A. Watson, on June 12, 2008 |
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Try onlineseats.com for great seats to
Wicked
Jersey Boys
The Little Mermaid
Lion King
Shrek The Musical
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide
Wicked
Jersey Boys
The Little Mermaid
Lion King
Shrek The Musical
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide