IN 2005, Maureen Lipman starred, to great acclaim, in Peter Quilter’s play Glorious, the story of the world’s worst soprano, Florence Foster Jenkins. Now she returns to another Quilter play about a woman who (in her own mind) sings to make the world happy.

Allegra, older sister to Ronen, lives alone with her empty fridge in Bohemian chaos, making frequent forays into her town where she sings as she shops. With the clouds of dementia deepening her delusions, she just cannot accept that the shopkeepers, the bakers, her fellow shoppers, the diners and other elderly people don’t like her singing. With a song in her heart, Allegra has always been keen to let the sunshine in, put on a happy face and spread a little happiness. But this is not a happy time, and instead of enhancing the lives of those around her, all she seems to do is pile on the agony.

Is Colchester-born Quilter particularly interested in singing women (apparently Allegra is based on a woman he met in an Australian home for the elderly) or is he keen to provide another vehicle for the octogenarian, now Dame, Maureen to repeat their previous successful collaboration? If you are among those who left Bath Theatre Royal at the interval, you probably fall into the second category. But if, like me, you felt a lot of sympathy with Allegra, and a charm in her company, you were among those cheering at the end.

Undoubtedly Maureen Lipman gives a tour-de-force performance as the woman described by her brother as “the happiest person he’s ever known.” Embracing her eccentricity, Allegra is aware that she is increasingly unable to differentiate between the songs in her head and those she’s actually singing – but then, why should she? All she wants to do is stop people feeling, and looking, so down-in-the-dumps.

But there have been rumblings in the neighbourhood. The baker says the impromptu recitals are annoying the customers. So does the man in the petrol station – and the hairdresser. They have contacted Ronen, who lives quite close by with his wife in a five-bedroomed house. … now they have contacted the police.

Ronen thinks a carer will help, and she (Anna from Brno) is coming for a meeting. Just as she is beginning to melt Allegra’s reticence, a policeman calls. The play goes on from here, swerving between reality and imagination and taking the audience on a journey into Allegra’s mind that includes staged magic realism and even audience participation. Sometimes it’s a bit like a Tim Burton film. But as the law takes its course, the other film the play evokes is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in its exploration of the effects of legally-imposed tranquilisation.

John Middleton does what he can with the role of Ronen, which is underwritten and make-weight – the character really could be explored to better effect. Elizabeth Bower as the Czech carer fares better, and Bailey Patrick evidently enjoys the chance to play a hunkily confused copper.

This tour goes straight from Bath into London, where it has a four-week run.

GP-W

 

Photograph by Marc Brenner