|
Review: Top Girls (June 2006)
An intriguing battle to get girls on top
I suppose I should fell pangs of guilt when I say that, being a man, I probably don’t think about the topic of sexual equality too much. To be honest when historically you’re sat on the ‘rights side of the fence’ it’s probably something which doesn’t cross your mind. Thank goodness then the BATS were on hand to shake me from my testosterone-induced slumber for an hour or two.
Top Girls tells the story of how women’s rights have progressed over the years, concluding with a tale of career versus motherhood from early Thatcherite Britain.Noted playwright Caryl Churchill leaves the audience in no doubt there is still a lot of work to be done to even the score between men and women.
The performance is split in to two distinct sections; a fantasy dinner party where women from history celebrate the promotion of eighties woman Marlene to an executive post at the Top Girls employment agency and an examination of Marlene and the sacrifices she has had to make to claw her way to the top.
As intriguing as the diner party scene is, if you are not familiar with the play or have not read the programme (50p well spent in my case) you’ve got no chance of fathoming what is going on.
That’s more of a fault with the play than the BATS who pitched their performances nicely to contrast the lives of the women, even if the overlapping strands of conversation grated at times.
Clearly Top Girls is a challenging play for cast members and the all-female group acquitted themselves well.
Jojo Turnbull gave Marlene the requisite strength of character and Hannah Turnbull, Trish Daly, Verena Bradbury, Tamsyn Webb, Maureen Taylor and Clare Sayers handled their parts with no little skill. Anna Korth and Marcia Linden gave solid turns in their small roles.Director Dorothy Webb must have been delighted with their efforts.
I am not sure I would subscribe entirely to Churchill’s views on feminism- but then I am probably lucky to be a child of more enlightened times.There is no doubt however history has given women a raw deal, and as BATS entertainingly point out, equality still isn’t available to everybody.
- Bexhill Observer
Review reproduced by permission
|
