Review: BETTE AND JOAN, Park Theatre
The golden age of Hollywood means many things to many people. For some, it's the smouldering passion of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Others might focus on the rom-coms that made Cary Grant famous, or the tuneful musicals transformed by Judy Garland. But for delicious claw baring animosity, nothing can beat the enduring feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The battlelines were drawn in the 1940s when Davis and Crawford were employed by Warner Bros and had adjoining dressing rooms. This sparkling two hander by Anton Burge moves the action forward to 1962, as the warring icons lock horns on the set of 'Whatever happened to baby Jane'.
The play recreates the same proximity as the stars' dressing rooms are centre stage. Joan (Felicity Dean) is characteristically glowing in a red dressing gown. She is gently barking orders over the telephone (“no close-ups after 4:30 darling”); while Bette (Greta Scacchi) is typically foul mouthed and belligerent, quietly fuming that the film might have been Joan's idea and might also be a hit. Whilst removing make-up from a day's filming, they rake over two very eventful lives. Men they should have married; films they shouldn't have made, and stark choices made in a ruthless business far removed from the silver screen they used to fill.
Unlike most two handers, the actors deliver the majority of dialogue to the audience in monologue. This works well as their respective back stories are gently revealed. When they do interact, it creates a burst of dramatic energy that provides contrast in the narrative. There is a smattering of funny lines to break down the drama. But it doesn't portray a continual slanging match which would have been too predictable. Instead, we get a thoughtful and truthful account of two remarkable performers whose egos could never peacefully co-exist.
Greta Scacchi and Felicity Dean are excellent in their respective roles and find their characters with calm reassurance. Actors playing actors may seem straight forward, but they have captured the nuances in both women with aplomb. Bette and Joan represents a unique era in film making when star quality was everything. They didn't have to rely on 24 hour marketing to make a film work. There was no social media to drip feed the public with blow-by-blow updates. It was all about the film and the actors telling a great story. A play well worth the trip out on a cold and rainy evening.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Brian Penn
Bette & Joan plays at the Park Theatre until 11 January 2025, with further info here.
