Dear Liar Review: Shaw and Campbell's Fiery Correspondence Brought to Life
A revival of Jerome Kilty's 1957 two-hander, Dear Liar, is currently captivating audiences at the intimate Jermyn Street Theatre in London. This production delves into the cantankerous and flirtatious relationship between playwright George Bernard Shaw and the actor Mrs Patrick Campbell, who originated the role of Eliza in Pygmalion.
Historical Context and Inspiration
The play draws from the extensive and ardent correspondence between these two towering figures of early 20th-century theatre. Kilty, who served in the US army in London during the Second World War, once doorstepped Shaw and was received cordially by the octogenarian. This encounter later inspired him to craft this work, which remains his most notable success.
While Campbell's legacy has faded from popular memory and Shaw's plays are less frequently staged, Dear Liar seeks to revive their dynamic through the performances of Rachel Pickup as Campbell and Alan Turkington as Shaw.
Performance and Production Details
The first act focuses on the tumultuous efforts to stage Pygmalion, blending contractual negotiations with playful flirtation. Campbell's letters promise, "I will be your pretty slut," while Shaw's temper flares with lines like, "I will sit here and howl." Despite rehearsals plagued by Campbell's misfiring Cockney accent and Shaw's intemperate direction, the play ultimately triumphs.
As the narrative progresses, their relationship fractures, particularly when each attempts to exploit their bond for artistic or memoir purposes. Shaw's curiosity leads him to witness his mother's cremation, and his pacifism turns to fury rather than comfort when Campbell loses a son in the war.
Director Stella Powell-Jones navigates this material with a production that features Tom Paris's cloud-stippled curtain design. The actors, clad in calico with a cartoon of Shaw on Turkington's T-shirt, move between moments of quiet reflection and strenuous declamation.
Character Portrayals and Modern Relevance
Rachel Pickup embodies Campbell with chandelier earrings quivering in outrage, yet she becomes touchingly still in depicting the character's old age. Alan Turkington captures Shaw's petulance, often with hands stuffed in pockets, portraying a figure easily wounded by their exchanges.
Their interactions are shadowed by unfulfilled desire, as seen in Campbell's retort, "I absolutely refuse to play any longer the horse to your Lady Godiva!" This raises the question of whether they are merely "lustless lions at play," as Campbell suggests.
Modern scholarship has reframed Campbell as a psychologically acute performer rather than a stroppy diva, a nuance that this production occasionally grapples with. While the script can feel fusty at times, the actors' ability to convey the depth of their characters' enraptured imaginations helps to partially shake off the cobwebs.
Dear Liar runs at Jermyn Street Theatre in London until 7 March, offering a poignant glimpse into the lives of two artists whose bond was as contentious as it was captivating.
