Season 59 Play 5 – The Weekend by Michael Palin
Directed by
Cast
Virginia Febble – Brenda Bell
Diana – Yvonne Templeton
Alan – Brad Moxon
Charlotte – Vickie Bandy
Duff Gardner – Peter Berry
Bridget Gardner – Julie Johnston
Hugh Bedales – Allan Hollings
Mrs. Finlay – Patricia Clough
Synopsis
Faced with a family gathering, the world weary Stephen does his best to be difficult. When his daughter, her dreary husband Alan, their precocious child and – not least – the dog come to stay for the weekend it’s enough to make him reach for the whisky and sarcasm.
Directors Notes
First performed in March 1994 and transferred to the Strand Theatre, London with Richard Wilson in the title role, The Weekend is very much a “One Foot In The Grave” for the stage.
Although written after David Renwick’s creation of Victor Meldrew, Stephen Febble bears all the hallmarks of that irascible character. World-weary, grumpy, abrasive, and in some cases vicious, Febble drags himself through life armed with a large Scotch and mega-ton chip on his shoulder. The arrival of his daughter, son-in-law, precocious granddaughter and their pet dog for a weekend stay only serves to ignite his passion for being argumentative and unruly. Then a dinner party with an uninvited guest – that could just push Stephen to the brink!
Palin’s first play is witty, intelligent, well observed and dark. I was particularly interested in this dark comedic element when rehearsing the play, and wanted to explore as far as possible the relationship of Stephen and his long suffering wife Virginia. As the play unfolds one wonders why she in fact puts up with it – why she would want to stay and continue the grumpy journey of their marriage. Surely a better life is out there for her without her vitriolic husband? But she remains. It is very much this particular layer of the story that has the most impact, has perhaps the most relevance and may spark a connection with the audience. However, as the weekend draws to a close a new hidden layer of Stephen is revealed – for the first time to Virginia – and may provide for us the real reason for their need for one another.
Despite Stephen’s abrasive nature, Palin brings out a lot of sharp comedy and touches on certain elements of family life that will ring true to many an ear. The Weekend is at times unnerving, at times annoying, always witty. Enjoy.
