Wallis, BramwellBrand Production Review
Written by Jacqueline for Theatre and Tonic.
One of the most exciting things about seeing shows at the Edinburgh Fringe is knowing that often you are seeing a production that is in an early stage of development. Wallis was a perfect example of that. Based on the life story of American socialite Wallis Simpson and her integration into the British upper class, this show is the latest in a long line of musical biopics. But is Wallis a love story, or a cautionary tale of a woman trapped by her own ambition?
There were definitely some interesting casting choices made with his production. Wallis herself had very little presence and was at times portrayed as more of a character who stood on the sidelines or waited around in the background rather than being a strong, ambitious character in her own right. I was hoping to see elements of different ways that Wallis has been perceived by historians and the media- perhaps as a sly, determined social climber or more as a woman who genuinely found herself unexpectedly falling into favour with the prince. Unfortunately both the script and performer weren’t forthcoming on any particular stance. Wallis’ husband Ernest was the epitome of the downtrodden and washed-out supporting character. He seemed to sit idly by as Wallis climbed the social ladder and rarely showed any particular emotions about the situation. Even during his solo, I found it hard to find any reason to sympathise with him as his performance had been so underwhelming. Prince Edward was the epitome of a stereotypical posh private schoolboy, and it was hard to understand why Wallis would want to be with his character for any reason other than his money and social status. During the scenes in which he was interacting with impoverished workers, it all came across as quite disingenuous. His relationship with Wallis was underwhelming and not developed in the slightest. Despite some underwhelming choices with the three leads, the ensemble really lifted the show up. They covered a wide range of roles from BBC News reporters to fellow socialites to telephone switchboard operators. This small ensemble brought some much-needed comedic moments and some fun background details to look out for.
Where the show truly let itself down was with the script and lack of direction. After seeing the show, it was still hard to understand exactly what point the writers were trying to make. So many aspects were unclear, namely what the stakes were for Wallis herself. It was already established early on that Wallis had already divorced and remarried, so when her second marriage ends in divorce that is simply history repeating itself. The final part of the show focusses on Edward’s decision about what would be at stake for him if he married Wallis. Despite being the titular character, Wallis herself is constantly relegated to the sidelines. At points it feels as though her only purpose is to stand around while men argue over her. Having said that, this is not done in any way that is convincing enough way to make me feel that it was intentional by the script writer as some kind of commentary on women in 1930s society.
Overall, with some rewrites and stronger directorial and acting choices, Wallis could become a solid show. Having said that, Wallis Simpson herself is a somewhat bizarre choice for a musical biopic in the first place. Wallis and Edward’s political stances are no secret, so the script’s refusal to acknowledge these leaves a sour taste. Furthermore, I do wonder if the lead cast were simply exhausted as I saw the final performance of their run, but audiences must be given the same standard of performance wherever they see a show- not just on opening night. I am interested to see how this show progresses after its run at the Other Palace, and would definitely see it again in the future to see how it has developed.
Wallis plays at The Other Palace on August 28th and 29th
★
