TV adaptation of Alan Ayckbourn's brilliant comic trilogy. Three interconnected plays that recount the events of a single weekend, from 5.30p.m on Saturday to a little after 9.00 a.m on Monday.
In the last few years, directors have been praised for their innovative use of time structure in their films. Both Memento and Irreversible were acclaimed for their ba... more >
In the last few years, directors have been praised for their innovative use of time structure in their films. Both Memento and Irreversible were acclaimed for their back-to-front narratives, the “real time” element of the series 24 gave a real sense of urgency to the drama, and the split-screen technique of Mike Figgis’ Timecode added a degree of audience interaction as the viewer decided which of the four stories he would concentrate upon. As great as these works are, however, they are heavily indebted to the pioneering theatre of a middle class gentleman from Hampstead – Alan Ayckbourn.
Many of Ayckbourn’s comedies subvert narrative conventions – for example, in Time Of My Life, three stories involving the same characters take place simultaneously on the same stage, with one going back in time, one showing the present, and one indicating what the future holds for these characters. The Norman Conquests also played with a time structure gimmick – three plays that all take place at the same time (though on separate nights) in three different places in the family house (the dining room, the living room and the garden). When a character walks out of the living room in one play, he or she may enter the action in the garden in another. This demanding time structure works incredibly well, and the BBC version of the play is the best televised adaptation of Ayckbourn’s work yet.
The plot is simple – a family discovers that Annie (Penelope Wilton) is planning an affair with Norman (Tom Conti) and react in various different ways. The work is extremely well-cast, with a host of familiar faces gleaned from quality sitcoms (The Good Life’s Penelope Keith and Richard Briers are terrific as a permanently bickering couple). The comic timing is as acute as one would expect, but there are some surprisingly moving scenes as well, such as those involving the would-be cuckolded wife, Ruth (Fiona Walker), whose acerbic façade eventually cracks when she realizes the extent of her husband’s betrayal.
It is the comic set-pieces that are the work’s real forté ; beautifully well-observed sequences involving confused seating arrangements, a complicated board game and unfoldable deckchairs poke gentle fun at the ridiculousness of the middle-class characters. The humour is so frothy and affectionate - more recent films have been far more cutting about the bourgeoisie - that The Norman Conquests serves as a charming time capsule of how comedy used to be; charming, well-acted and very, very funny.
< less
For those starved of intelligent, witty theatre, this is a bouquet indeed. Not every Alan Ayckbourn play has transferred successfully to the screen, but this is an alm... more >
For those starved of intelligent, witty theatre, this is a bouquet indeed. Not every Alan Ayckbourn play has transferred successfully to the screen, but this is an almost unqualified success, with every one-liner delivered with immaculate precision by a stellar cast head by Tom Conti. < less
