Bette & Joan
by Anton Burge
The Caxton Players
Caxton Theatre
Grimsby
21 - 28 January 2023
As an early teenager, I have memories of watching Hollywood royalty performing in the original 1962 movie version of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? I found it terrifying, yet compulsive viewing. Joan Crawford was confined to a wheelchair by her abusive and decidedly mad sister played by Bette Davis. It seared itself into my consciousness. I don't think that I have ever seen it since but I have always held the film in the highest regard, remembering the impact it had on me. Anton Burge's play Bette & Joan recreates the backstage shenanigans that occurred whilst filming took place. Two icons of the screen chose to work together and yet manifestly fought against each other for dominance over the other on the set. This play marks the main house directorial debut of Emrys Babb, who has previously directed Keeping Tom Nice and The Dumb Waiter, in the Caxton's bar area. Babb's name is possibly best known for lighting at the theatre, but he makes a fine job of leading his players through this drama.
The set is a split-stage, with one half Crawford's dressing room and the other Davis' with the illuminated mirror marking the wall between the two. It works well for a play often presenting monologues over the course of events. Both rooms are completed by a golden star on the outside of their door to remind us that this film was a joint star vehicle, but each room reflects the differences in personality between the two monstrous egos roomed within. Crawford's room is warm and opulent, full of expensive clothing and bottles of Pepsi convenient product placement for the star who was integral to the brand during her career.
By contrast, Davis' room is cooler and more sparse. It contains her working needs, her wig and her costume for the character in the film, but little additional adornment. Davis is laser focussed on being Queen Bee, yelling at everyone who displeases her and swearing like a Grimsby fishwife. The room demonstrates that she is only really concerned with the work. She is a theatre actress and considers movie stars to be the next run down the ladder. She is creating a grotesque for the film and the room is an extension of that character.
Babb made a smart decision when casting the show, he realised that he was never going to get lookalikes for the roles of Bette and Joan, and instead went for women with the acting chops to be able to embody the persona of each actress. In the role of Crawford, Amanda Jepson Trushell is regal, insecure and in love with the movie industry. She regales the audiences with tales of the men she she has "known" through her work and in her love life. There is an innate sadness behind the eyes of her performance, lost love and an awareness of the fact that time marches on, especially for beautiful women in Hollywood, who can be cast out in favour of the next beautiful young thing. Jepson Trushell manages to evoke sympathy for one of Hollywood's greatest stars who has become synonymous with cruelty and neglect in many ways since her daughter's book Mommie Dearest was published.
As Bette Davis, Christina Chen eviscerates everyone who stands in her way. Her vicious barbs ad quips take no prisoners and she will not suffer fools. She is a whirlwind of aggressive, spiteful energy who delights in undermining her co-star who perpetually offers olive branches that in turn are used to beat her. It is clear that Chen relishes the role as she undergoes the physical transformation into Baby Jane before our eyes with the application of make-up that looks as if it could have been applied with a trowel, just like Davis' actual make up in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? It is a chilling transformation. Davis is more concerned with "the art" of her performance and is happy to forego the glamour a younger and more insecure actress might have insisted upon. The make up is a mask that allows Davis to dissociate herself from the real world and to inhabit a world of spite and bile with a clear conscience.
Audiences will love hearing tales of Hollywood. To see Jepson Trushell's sensitive reminiscence of Joan Crawford, as she talks about "The King" - Clark Gable - a man who "got away" despite starring in several films together, is deeply touching. Both women demonstrate Daddy issues in their monologues, with studio heads as surrogate fathers and we can see the need for each to gain approval. Chen's manipulation of their current director is delicious and knowing, and serves to illustrate how unhappy the actress was with the unseen influences in her life.
I suspect that the back and forth sniping and cat-calling will really entertain audiences when the show opens on Saturday and the strong performances from each actress will impress. If you overlook the notion of lookalikes and focus on the essence of each real-life actress and her performance this will be a play that lives long in the memory and will satisfy the morbid gossip -mongers we pretend not to be.
Bette & Joan opens on Saturday 21 January and runs until Saturday 28 January at the Caxton Theatre. Ticket details are on the poster below.
Andy Evans 18 January 2023
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