Rating: A
Going to anything at the Fortune Theatre is always exciting – there’s just something about walking in through the doors of the delightfully Gothic church and into the theatre that secretes anticipation. Indeed, the beautifully constructed set of Winston’s Birthday, complete with a 9’ portrait of the man himself dominating the view centre stage, set the standards high for the evening – even if you do have to awkwardly stand on your seat to allow others to pass you.
It was while I was sitting there reading my programme and eagerly awaiting the start of the show (sometimes leaping unceremoniously out of my seat to allow others to squeeze past me) that I started to realise how little I actually know about Winston Churchill. He’d said something about fighting on the beaches and that was pretty much it, right? Aside his wartime leadership and oratory, however, it turns out there was a bit more to him, and particularly on the dysfunctional family relations front.
Winston’s Birthday is a historical comedy revolving around an imagined luncheon for Churchill’s 88th birthday, and is written by Oamaru playwright and ex-Waitaki Boys High school rector Dr Paul Baker. While the wartime hero is now frail and vulnerable, Geoffrey Heath does a magnificent job of portraying Sir Winston as an ageing man, who is as sharp-tongued and quick-witted as ever. Also in attendance are two of his five children Randolph and Sarah (Roy Snow and Hilary Halba respectively) who desperately seek their father’s love and approval, alongside long-suffering wife Lady Clementine Churchill (Yvonne Martin), and the fictional character of young historian Dr Stephen Jenkins (Jonathan Martin).
Ultimately the play reveals the secrets, resentments and betrayals that plague the Churchill family, with Dr Jenkins providing the catalyst for the family attempting to work through these issues. The cast works together well, feeding off each other and getting increasingly hysterical as more and more brandy is consumed throughout the show. The script is well written, truly hilarious and filled with some excellent one-liners. If you’ve never been to the Fortune Theatre before, Winston’s Birthday is an excellent starting point – there is also two-for-one on Wednesday with a Radio One card.