Studio, Lighthouse, Poole
Wednesday 29 April – Saturday 2 May
8pm (Thurs, Sat matinees 2pm)
Tickets £12 (Discounts: Students, U18s, Seniors, Groups, ATL)
Tickets & information 0844 406 8666
Dorset-based Dramatic Productions present The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, for four nights from 29 April to 2 May.
Written by Debbe Isitt, it’s a darkly funny comedy about a warped love triangle initiated by middle-aged Ken who decides to trade in Hilary, his wife of 20 years. Finding himself in the arms of Laura – a young, slim, attractive and vibrant free spirit – his only problem (or so he thinks) is that she can’t cook!
Here, director Tracy Murrey talks about men and women and the apparent conflict between bedroom and kitchen…
Tracy, what can you tell us about The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband?
To me The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband is a play about appetites or, more correctly, hungry people.It certainly explores the old adage that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.
Set in the in the era of rock ‘n’ roll, Debbie Isitt’s award winning black comedylooks at the revenge wreaked on a husband by his wronged wife when he deserts her for a younger model. It’s a great piece for Dramatic as it gives us the opportunity to showcase three of our best loved, local character actors in a cracking comedy: Julia Savill, Russell Biles and Celia Muir.
In a nutshell, it’s about Kenneth, a chauvinist with a weakness for fatty foods and skinny women. In the midst of a mid-life crisis he trades in Hilary, his plump and stoic wife of many years for the younger, prettier, slimmer (and more culinary-challenged) Laura. However, he quickly regrets his rash decision and finds himself torn between the delights of Laura’s bedroom and Hilary’s kitchen. I couldn’t possibly give anymore away but, needless to say as the title implies, Kenneth discovers he can’t have his cake and eat it.
The play is cleverly told through a series of flashbacks which can sometimes be quite surreal and tricky to stage. It also needs to be served up at an exhilarating speed which can be quite a challenge for a director. I’m committed to not wasting a single humorous moment from Isitt’s extremely funny script but also keen to ensure the pain and point of view of the characters is always underlying. The truth of the piece is that it has a lot to say about human weaknesses, loyalty and selfishness as well as being a thoroughly enjoyable, laugh out loud experience.
How did he taste?
I’ve heard he was rather fatty with a distinct aftertaste of rat! Russell Biles (the follicly-challenged actor playing the part of Kenneth) would probably say “at least all the hair was removed”!
Who do you think will identify with the story?
I guess the play is about the simplest of desires, sex and food, and we’re all familiar with those. Of course, anyone who has been betrayed in love or lamented the loss of their youth will identify with the characters and their situations on some level.
It’s also worth mentioning that fans of rock ‘n roll will enjoy the soundtrack. A highlight of working on The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband is all the wonderful Elvis tunes I get to listen to.
How important is cooking to maintaining a good relationship?
It’s imperative. If my husband wasn’t such an excellent cook he’d be out on his ear!
What is the plan for TWWCHH after its run at Lighthouse?
The washing up! We are also looking at a small tour, details of which will soon be available on our website at www.dramaticproductions.co.uk.
The production of TWWCHH follows a run of several well-known plays for Dramatic, was it always the intention tackle a new piece next?
Yes. We thoroughly enjoyed working on last year’s programme which included some Wilde, Ayckbourn and Shakespeare but we are also committed to new writing and giving people the opportunity to see something less well known. That said, The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband was very successful when it was first produced at the Edinburgh Fringe in the 1990s. It later enjoyed a run in the West End with Alison Steadman in the lead role so I’m hoping some of our audience will have heard of it.
How important is Lighthouse to the way Dramatic Productions works?
Lighthouse is an invaluable cultural hub that is instrumental in the growth of Dramatic Productions as a company. Sharing our passion for engaging with the community, it has helped us build a dedicated audience, work with an array of talented local artists and form strong relationships with schools in the area and the university.
Our work receives tremendous support from the community which is aided by the excellent marketing skills of the Lighthouse team. Lighthouse also supports and encourages us to devise original work which gives us the freedom to commission local artists to develop innovative new plays. Our sci-fi version of Macbeth for National Shakespeare Week last year was used locally as a drama GCSE exam piece. This really gave us the opportunity to get out to schools and connect with young people and that’s important to us.
We consider Lighthouse to be an integral part of our work at Dramatic Productions and we are extremely grateful and proud to be an associated company at such a special venue. Not only does it facilitate our productions it is also an incredibly creative and inspiring environment within which to work.
Dramatic identifies itself as a Dorset-based company, how well served is the Dorset community in terms of theatre and the arts in general?
We are fortunate to have a vibrant arts scene in Dorset even though funding cuts from national government are on a scale never seen before. Not only do we have Lighthouse consistently delivering a world class programme of live performance, visual and digital arts, we also have the BSO, one of the best orchestras in the country, on our doorstep.
There is a great wealth of talent in our region and some first rate arts organisations. Activate (based in Dorchester) work tirelessly with artists, venues and agencies to produce and develop contemporary theatre and often imaginatively use our outdoor spaces for wonderful events. Last year’s Arts by the Sea festival made great use of Bournemouth’s beaches and gardens for live performances bringing people from all over the country to our area; there was even a great WW1 play staged in the Dorset County Chambers.
On a smaller scale I have seen some excellent Fringe theatre popping up in bars such as Camden in Ashley Cross, Chaplin’s Cellar Bar and The Shelley Theatre in Boscombe to name a few…this is just the tip of the iceberg.
There is a lot going on, however, I would dearly love to see better accessibility to the arts for families struggling on low incomes. Perhaps this is something Dramatic Productions can look at as we move forward.
As a Dorset girl through and through, I feel privileged to live and work in such a culturally rich part of the UK.
