The Back Room at The Star Inn – 8th April 2019
Reviewed by Heather Chalkley
5*****
A phenomenal performance by writer and actor Pip Utton. His reputation goes before him as a world-renowned monologist and tonight he does not disappoint. Based on personal experience, Pip takes us through the emotional journey from diagnosis to death of an Alzheimer’s disease victim. This is not for the faint hearted. Playing mainly the husband of Chrissy, Pip (Michael) begins with the wake of his wife’s funeral and ends with his own, with the joy of love and funny anecdotes sandwiched in between.
Utton (Michael) had the audience in his grip from the start, cunningly beginning the piece by sitting close to the audience, sat on the edge of the stage. Eye level contact immediately displays the pain and sadness of grief. The love story of young sweethearts and the support given to them by their parents when a baby was conceived, keeps you captivated. The love and admiration he has for Chrissy is displayed through the telling of their life together. The slow decline of Michael (Utton) himself into Alzheimer’s disease, a few years after his wife’s passing, seems cruel and unjust. Micheal’s (Utton) anger was quite frightening and very real. Utton’s (Michael) physical manifestation of the disease accentuated the emotional impact.
The final scene see’s Utton playing John, the son of Michael and Chrissy. It provides the opportunity to hear how Michael found a lover that is loyal to him until the end and clearly loves him dearly. She holds the greatest respect for the love Michael has for Chrissy. In this way Utton finishes this emotional rollercoaster on a positive note.
Pip Utton has treated this subject matter with great sensitivity and profound understanding. He has the ability to connect with the audience deep in your gut, in a way that makes you part of the play or at the very least the boundaries are transparent. Utton gave a well-honed and perfectly executed master class in monologue performance.
Performed as part of the Guildford Fringe Week