‘Kenny Morgan’ is set in a Camden Town boarding house in
1949 where we’re habituated with actor, Kenny Morgan who craves attention for
some reason is rescued from two other residents in the boarding house, Mrs
Simpson (Marlene Sidaway) and Dafydd Lloyd (Matthew Bulgo) as he’s decided to
gas himself as he is in a suicidal frame of mind. Thankfully, the gas meter has run out of
money so his plan is unsuccessful and with a call to the GP, Mr Ritter (George
Irving) he then looks through Kenny’s contact book and the first contact he
sees is the illustrious playwright, Terence Rattigan; as such Mr Ritter calls
the man’s home phone for him to visit. However, Kenny’s current boyfriend, Alec
Lennox isn’t too impressed with Kenny’s behaviour as he is really in love with
Kenny and due to Kenny’s attempt to kill himself, Alec is upset by it, yet, he
grows jealous when Terence Rattigan makes an appearance. Over the course of the performance, Kenny and
Alec’s relationship is pushed to its limits as Alec is struggling to find
acting work and he has been offered a meeting for a small part in a film in
Birmingham, which he isn’t actually interested in pursuing, but Kenny’s attitude
is making Alec’s decision a little easier.
In addition to this, the tension between Kenny and Alec accentuates
where a celebration of a birthday causes an argument to occur; which in turn
upsets both the men and after every confrontation, Alec resorts to venturing
off to the pub and drinking heavily. Kenny who is in a pretty bad way calls
Terence Rattigan for a shoulder to cry on and as usual, he is obliging and his
neighbour, Dafydd comes to see how Kenny is getting on and is shocked when
Terence enters the bedsit. It appears that Dafydd is a fan of Terence’s work
and as an appreciation he invites Dafydd to see his latest play. Kenny’s
partner, Alec brings his friend, Norma Hastings (Lowenna Melrose) into their
bedsit, but as usual Kenny is annoying Alec and asks if he can stay with Norma
for some time, understandably, Kenny becomes emotional by this and his suicidal
thoughts are more prominent. Throughout this, Mr Ritter honestly says to Kenny
that he is being childish because of his lacklustre demeanour and informs him
of what happened to him in his homeland in order for Kenny to see that there
are people in a worse off state than his dwindling relationship. At the finale,
Alec comes back to the bedsit but with some bad news for Kenny where he states that
their relationship is over and that he’ll be moving up to Birmingham for the
film role, due to this, Kenny finally and sorrowfully goes through his suicide
attempt and ends his life once and for all. Poulton’s narrative is cracking as
we’re taken on a moving portrayal of Kenny’s emotional journey where his
relationship with Alec has taken a tumble for the worse because of his
attention seeking behaviour and it does hit home that even if you think your
problems are really awful that there are other people who have tougher
problems.
One found the perofrmances by the company of, ‘Kenny Morgan’
to be mind-blowing as they convey the pureness of the characters’ own story
i.e. Dafydd’s loneliness and Mr Ritter’s personal traumas as well as Kenny and
Alec’s strenuous relationship. Paul
Keating is phenomenal as central protagonist, Kenny Morgan; especially when we
see how emotional he actually is when it comes to Alec as this is the person he
is in love with but due to the fact that he is an attention hogger he wants
everyone to be around him conforting hem. Yet, I did like how his energy infused
through his relationship with Terence Rattigan. Pierro Niel-Mee is transcendent
as Kenny’s long suffering boyfriend, Alec; mainly when you can see the exasperation
by Kenny’s unpleasant behaviour and this is only helping him become an
alcoholic and to become distant when it comes to Kenny’s sexual advances, furthermore,
when he decides to tell Kenny that their relationship is at an end it is a
moving moment indeed as the two men are near to crying. Simon Dutton is supreme
as the famous playwright, Terence Rattigan; essentially when he comes into the
bedsit, you can see that there is an awkward tension that increases in time as
Alec really dislikes him as he is also causing the relationship between Kenny
and Alec to finish which for me is disgraceful, plus, as with people with money
he comes across too aloof.
Lucy Bailey’s direction is overwhelmingly good here as she has
been able to transport us into an environment that is rather anxious as Kenny
is the main focus of a man who is going through a turbulent time in his life
and with the realisation that his sexuality is frowned upon shows us that being
a member of the LGBT community in the 1940’s was not exactly a pleasant experience
whatsoever and fundamentally bleak. Robert Innes Hopkins’ design is out of this
world as he has been able to grasp the dreariness of the Camden Town bedsit which
in turn has allowed us to understand that the set itself has an underlying
sadness within it such as the scenic art and construction through to the obscure
presence of Jack Knowles’ amazing lighting design. Overall, the experience of, ‘Kenny
Morgan; to be monumental, moving and excellent piece of theatre and from the Arcola
Theatre which has become an admired place of mine.
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