Theatre review: The Daughter in-law @ Sheffield Crucible Theatre

March 18 2013 , Written by Ola Fagbohun - The Diverse Traveller Published on #The daughter in-law, #DH Lawrence, #Theatre, #Play, #Sheffield, #Review

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The Daughter in-law by D H Lawrence

Play details:

The Daughter-in-Law by D.H. Lawrence

A Sheffield Theatres Production presented at Crucible Theatre

Wed 27 February - Sat 23 March

Running time: approx. 2 hours 15 mins

Review

"‘My son’s my son till he ta’es him a wife…"

And that about sums up the premise of this play.

It's 1912, in a Derbyshire town. where we meet the formidble Mother Gascoyne and her feckless son Joe. Their converssation starts with Joe's account of how it got his broken arm, then on to the impending coal miners strike.

As mother, and Joe talk first about Joe's accident, then on to the strike, it is clear Mrs Gascoyne smoothers Joe, waiting on him hand and foot, cutting his meat, helping him take off his boots, and controlling how much money he has to spend. Mother Gascoyne is in control, and while we'll hear Joe threathen to move to Australia, his subsequent non-action tell us this threat is no more than an empty gesture of defiance.

A knock on the door interrupts their conversation, and in comes Mrs Purdy, who after much beating about the bush, annouces that her daughter Bertha is four months pregnanent. She announces that Joe's oider son, Luther, is the father.

Ah Luther!

Initally Mrs Gascoyne, refuses to believe Mrs Purdy, as Luther is a newlly wed. But after Joe says it's more than likely, she concedes. She then goes on to share with us how it is Luther got married, and for the first time we learn about her disdain for Minnie her daughter in-law.

Luthur, finally left home to marry a women who controlled their long courtship, even to the extent of commanding hom to marry her. Once she had hold of Luther, she's determined to make him into the man she deserves, even if that means demeaning him with every word.

The daugher in-law

Minnie, is perceived by the others as looking to "wriggle a place out for hersen". Shorthly after starting up with Luthur she moved to Manchester to be a governess, in order to better herself. When she marries Luthur she bring £120 to the marriage, decorates her house with "second hand goods", that Mother despises, a home that looks like a showhouse.

Now here is the crux of the matter, a conflict between a smothering mother who wants to hold on to her sons no matter what, and her ambitious daughter in-law desperate to throw aside the tight apron strings that bind her husband, of six weeks, to his mother.

Minnie has got the look of the house in order, but the marriage is not as easy. Minnie now realises that tearing Luther from his mother will be a hard task, but she believes she is the person to do it. However, when she learns of Bertha Purdy's pregnancy, and that her Luther is the father, a very bitter argument ensues. Luther declares that he wished he had married Bertha instead. And despite the many poisionous insults Mininie fires back, she is devasted by this statement. Luther refuses to take it back, so she threatens to leave him. He tells her to do what she wants. This she does, going back to Manchester, where she was a governess before marriage.

While she is away, the miners strike and Luther goes home to mother where money is even tigher. But Minnie doesn't stay away for long, as she realises that she wants to be with Luther. Realising he must see her money as an afront to his masculinity, she spends it all, on a ring and etchings.

Minnie arrives home in a good mood, cake box in hand, ready to take her errant husband in hand, but arrives home to meet Mother sitting by the fire.

In light of her good mood, she tries to have a pleasant conservation with Mrs Gascoyne, but things soon disintigrate into a familiar slanging match. This time Minnie lets loose letting her mother in-law know how she truly feels about the way she smoothers her sons.

MINNIE: . . . it was your fault. You held him, and persuaded him that what he wanted was you. You kept him, like a child, you even gave him what money he wanted, like a child. He never roughed it — he never faced out anything. You did all that for him.

MRS. GASCOIGNE: And what if I did! If you made as good a wife to him as I made a mother, you'd do.

MINNIE: Should I? You didn't care what women your sons went with, so long as they didn't love them .... You kept the solid meal, and the orts and slams any other woman could have. But I tell you, I'm not for having the orts and darts, and your leavings from your sons. I'll have a man, or nothing, I will.

While they argue, Joe and Luther arrive. Minnie drained from the slanging match, bears all to her husband, telling him how she really feels, with no recriminations, insults or barbed comments. She opens her heart and tells him that she wants to remain his wife.

Luther takes this in with disbelief, almost waiting for the penny to drop. But looking into her eyes he sees she is true, and looking lost and somewhat desperate, embraces his wife, and clings to her.

Even though, that was the ending I was hoping for I couldn't help wonder if their troubles were far from over. I suspect Luther will now transfer his attachment to apron strings from his mother to his wife.

Big perfomances from small cast

The cast is a small one, five in all, main characters Mother, Mrs Gascoyne (played by Lynda Baron ), the daughter in-law, Minnie (played by Claire Price), youngest son and charmer, Joe (played by Andrew Hawley) and older, spineless, son Luther, (played by Philip McGinley). And only two scenes are used, Mrs Gascoyne's kitchen in Act one, Scene one and Minnie and Luther Gascoyne's kitchen in all other scenes. All of which add to the intense and engrossing nature of this play, and not only because I had to concentrate to understand the dialect. I keenly felt the emotion and honesty of each line.

I have read elsewhere that this play does not 'play' at depicting the grim times of a mining town in 1912, I totally agree. Be warned, the script includes the word "Nigger" a couple of times, but it's all within context of the times.

Finally this well acted play reminded me of two relationships I had with mummy's boy.s. However, unlike Minnie, I didn't want to tough it out, I cut my losses - good riddance. But, if you're not so lucky, or you are a glutton for punishment and have ended up with a mummy's boy, beleive me when I say, very good luck!