BWW Reviews: DRIVING MISS DAISY is Not to Be Missed!

Growing up watching Murder She Wrote with my Grandparents and fantasizing about teacups coming alive like Mrs Potts in Beauty and The Beast, it is fair to say that I have been a lifelong fan of Angela Lansbury. It was with great excitement that I flew to Brisbane for the weekend specifically to see the John Frost produced, Australian production of Driving Miss Daisy with my incredible fiancee who despite not being a theatre fan, was keen to see Darth Vader (of course referring to the icon that is James Earl Jones). To say I enjoyed my first experience of this production is an understatement and there was no hesitation to see the show again in my home town of Sydney.

Having seen the show twice, I can state with confidence that no matter how often you see Driving Miss Daisy, it is impossible to escape the emotion of the piece and attachment that you develop to the characters. Both times, I was left wiping tears off my eyes and like the entire theatre, drawn to my feet in rapturous applause.

Driving Miss Daisy is a Pulitzer Prize winning Alfred Uhry play that first premiered in 1987 about the relation between an elderly Southern Jewish woman, Daisy (Angela Lansbury), and her African-American chauffeur, Hoke (James Earl Jones), as well as her son, Boolie (Boyd Gaines). With a focus on the themes of segregation and friendship, it is story which tugs strongly at the heartstrings. Having never seen the play or the movie, I came to this production an empty slate and left it a passionate fan keen to see the movie but reluctant to see another cast in fear that nothing could be as good as these three talented individuals.

All the hype around the show has focused on the two superstars, Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones and rightly so, as to see these two perform is to realise that there are some performers who truly live in a class of their own. I have been lucky enough to see shows on Broadway in New York and around Australia and I would challenge anyone to find a better example of quality acting than what I have seen in this production of Driving Miss Daisy.

However, it is not only these two stars that impressed me, rather, I came away equally as impressed by Boyd Gaines who certainly more than holds his own on stage and many times stole the spotlight from his co-stars with his outstanding delivery.

The high standard of acting is supported through clever staging and lighting, particularly the use of the video backdrop for the change of settings and the use of a simple stage design and limited props to keep the focus on the story and the characters. This production is not about glitz and big numbers like many shows you see today, it's about the heart and telling a story that will stick with you forever.

I cannot recommend this production enough. You need to see this show. It's not a should or a maybe, it's a "do it now!" Trust me, it's worth the airfares or the price of tickets. John Frost has yet again brought Australia an amazing show and there may never be an opportunity to see these three sensational actors in Australia again. Don't risk giving this one a miss!

Driving Miss Daisy plays at the Theatre Royal, Sydney until March 31, prior to seasons in Melbourne (from April 5), Adelaide (from May 17) and Perth (from June 8).

See http://daisyonstage.com.au for more information and to purchase tickets!

photo credit: Jeff Busby

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