A Fictionalised Account of Judy Garland's Life
What is about those glamorous Hollywood celebrities who live on to fascinate and seduce us, years after their death? Laura Sydonie was in a school performance of The Wizard of Oz and then read the book "Was" by Geoff Ryman, a fictionalised account of Judy Garland alias Dorothy and her heartbreaking journey over the rainbow to find success and happiness. This one-woman play is based on that story, performed with passion and integrity by Laura Sydonie with musical extracts sung by David Kettle.
Rather than a sycophantic tribute to Garland, we are presented with the true, harsh reality of her life, born Frances Gumm, transformed by the great fantasy factory MGM into Judy Garland, a child star. We observe how she is manipulated by Louis B. Meyer, (diet pills, uppers and downers to cope with movie star life), comforted by her personal assistant, destroyed by the love/hate relationship with her mother (her father was gay), and adored by fans including a young boy, Jonathan.
With a simple black box stage, one spotlit chair and a central glittering caricature, key scenes depicting Garland's world are acted out, with Laura Sydonie playing a diverse range of characters, including the fat, cigar-smoking Meyer, with incredible conviction. The narrative is interspersed with Garland's famous songs, which while competently sung by Kettle, these entertaining interludes tend to break up the dramatic pace and mood. Instead, perhaps archive newsreel or performance extracts would illustrate the pain and pathos of her emotional journey from childhood to tragic early death and the birth of a legendary star and gay icon.
When and Where
A Sulis Productions presentation at The Garage, Grindlay Street Court. Runs to 25 August at 12.15pm.
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