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Shirley Valentine

Review

Funny how a simple gesture, a hand run gently through the hair, can change perceptions in the theatre.

I had not previously much liked Shirley Valentine. She seemed cold and hard.

But in Sheila Elsdon's portrayal for Humdrum Amdram she has a warmth that ripens - the magic of exchanging the 'death' of loveless housewifery for the 'life' of a Greek island.

And what clinches it? That hand in the hair, at the final hope that her husband will find life too. Willy Russell's solo play, which pre-dates the film, is a monstrous challenge for any actress.

Perhaps here the directors could have given Sheila Elsdon more time, to let silence speak, and more busy-ness.

But she excels in both highs and lows of both comedy and emotion.

The soft stillness of 'Who will miss me?' is almost unbearably poignant.

Mike Allen The Portsmouth News - Wednesday 19th February '97