he appeared in the dressingroom breathing heavily after climbing the stairs and the slight hesitations in the doorway when contemplating the descent were equally comedic. Amy Butler, as daughter Nicole, was a delightful support for Lydia. Her character was more reflective than reactive and had a sense of her mother’s anxieties. Similarly, the leading lady’s dresser, Katherine, had an understanding of when to stay quiet and when to caress the star’s ego. As a contrast, there was a prickly relationship between Margaret, the company manager, played by Rebecca Pope. There was little love lost between the actress and manager. Anne Wint as Harriet, the agent, was full of melodrama as she faces a life without her meal ticket. Having spent over thirty years treading the boards myself, I have yet to see a dressingroom as opulent as the one afforded Lydia. However, the set designed by Peter Thorburn was engaging and looked comfortable enough for a mega star. The props by Pat Crosthwaite enhanced this, the overindulgence of flowers, the posters of past theatrical successes adorning the walls, a couch to catch a few moments of respite before being called to stage, and a big lit mirror for the greasepaint to be applied perfectly. I particularly liked Matthew King’s lighting changes when Lydia left the comforts of her dressing room to go and give the performance of her life as Lubov in Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard”. The extracts we saw were as if from the rear of the stage. I look forward to the start of next season and thank you for your hospitality during this.
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