Sordid Lives

Though Tower Theatre Company describe themselves as a non-professional outfit it’s hard to tell they are amateurs. They’ve taken on Del Shores’s dark comedy about a white trash family in Texas trying to come to terms with the bizarre nature of the matriarch’s untimely death, and the unravelling of long-held resentments and secrets that follow. The production by Allan Stronach scarcely misses a comic beat.The play has four acts, each cleverly almost self-contained as small playlets. The opening scenario sees Helen Dudley’s strong Sissy trying to keep the warring factions of her dead sister’s family from killing each other, whilst comforting the wife of the man who cheated on her with Sissy’s dead sister! It’s not too long before things spiral into mayhem. It appears that Mama was having a secret liaison with GW Nethercoot, who carelessly left his wooden legs on the floor and she tripped, smashing her skull on the sink!In the second Act the betrayed wife Noleta and Sissy’s niece La Vonda (nice performances from Louise Bakker and Despina Sellar) go on a revenge mission to the bar where the 'murderer' is, self-styling themselves as Thelma and Louise. It’s a terrific scene, and they get the rednecks in the bar to put on women’s clothing and dance with each other. This is the chosen revenge because two of these rednecks were responsible for savagely beating La Vonda’s gay brother when he was only seventeen. He’s been in a mental institution ever since.The third act is the 'Dehomosexualisation Of Brother Boy'. It’s the most bitter sweet of the scenarios, with Martin Buttery excellent at bringing home both the humour and sad pathos of a man forced to live in an institution till he is 'cured', when all he want to do is get out and live like his idol, Tammy Wynette. There is a really dark underbelly to this whole play, but there is redemption when Brother Boy’s nephew if finally accepted as gay in the play’s last scene.The comedy is well paced, especially in the climactic act at Mama’s funeral where Brother Boy steals the scene amidst the mayhem. Most of the acting is good, though Bryan Fegan’s Ty is vocally underpowered and seems to be a bit embarrassed about playing gay. The lines are also a bit ropey, and the day I saw it the scene at the institution nearly fell apart because of this.As I’ve said above, these carps aside, this is a thoroughly professional production. A shame, then, that it was marred for me by members of the company (director? producer?) sitting at the back and chortling louder than anyone else. I’m not denying it’s funny, but it’s off-putting to the rest of us. We haven’t seen it before, and your laughter is too eager, and more importantly, too quick, often anticipating the gag or the moment. Trust the script and your cast. They no longer need your help to get us laughing.