Review: STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Theatre Royal Brighton

If you're looking for a wholesome yet hilarious evening out, supporting your local theatre, look no further than the UK Tour of Steel Magnolias, which this week hit the Theatre Royal Brighton for its latest stop on tour.

Based on the 1989 film starring Dolly Parton and Julia Roberts, Steel Magnolias is about the lives of six sassy women living in smalltown Louisiana in the 80's. It tracks the up and downs of their everyday lives spanning about two years, notably focusing on the upcoming nuptials of the effervescent twentysomething Shelby (Diana Vickers) and her anxiously overprotective mother M'Lynn (Laura Main), who is fixated on her daughters' health and all the possible implications that her diabetes may bring to her life.

On the whole, Anthony Banks' adaptation for the stage has cultivated a really relatable and authentic sense of reality - these women could be any or all of us, chatting and jibing at each other as they hang out at the local beauty salon. It feels like you're watching through the keyhole, which immediately makes you warm to this group of women.

Hats off to casting director Serena Hill because this is an ensemble of actors that are perfectly placed and complement each other wonderfully. From Lucy Speed's bawdy and brash Truvy with a heart of gold, to Harriet Thorpe's acerbic Ouiser, every character is imbued with depth, charisma and comedy timing that could rival the best of them.

Act 1 starts to feel a little sluggish about two thirds of the way through - there's only so long one's attention can be captured by the (albeit entertaining) nothing in-particular-ness of chit-chat between friends. Thankfully, it picks up again once we're introduced to the whirlwind of discontent that is Ouiser Boudreaux. As the tone shifts from Act 1 into Act 2, the laughs turn to tears and Laura Main's performance in particular ramps up several notches to being stunningly heart-breaking.

The target audience for this is likely to be middle-aged women as the comedy is centred around the trials and frustrations of working wives in the 1980's - and this was absolutely reflected in the audience profile on this particular press night, myself included. This might account for the positive response in the room to every joke or comic beat, but honestly, I think the credit is due to the writing and the delivery.

There are more quotable one-liners in this play than you can shake a stick at - my favourite being "I thought he was a pest at first. And then he grew on me. And now I love him". And I defy anyone to find a line of dialogue more beautifully real than that.

Steel Magnolias is at Theatre Royal Brighton until 4 March, then touring

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith

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