Sideways
by Rex Pickett
Through The Grapevine
It's tough for Miles. He's a would-be novelist with
a sheaf of rejection letters and more in the post. That's a failed novelist
with rejection letters and a failed marriage behind him.
Oh yes, a failed novelist with a failed marriage, popping
prescription drugs. With (failed) actor Jack as a mate. That's Jack who has
made a foray into voiceovers and TV directing but now has settled for a
forthcoming marriage to a fiancee with a trust fund.
Oh but we mustn't forget Miles's passion for the
wines of California and his stock of bottles filled with the most
exquisite vintages he can afford.
In 2004 the Sideways movie, adapted from Rex Pickett's
semi-autobiographical novel and directed by Alexander Payne, was a hit movie
with numerous awards, even affecting wine sales according to Miles's likes
and dislikes.
Now Pickett has adapted his novel into a stage play
directed by David Grindley which, of course, we should take on its own
play-tasting terms but somehow can't forget savouring the fragile 2004 movie
vintage.
The movie, full of lush Californian landscapes and
a gently humorous entrée into esoteric world of wine tasting, followed the two
pals on their road trip through Califonian wine country, Miles seeking more
wines to savour and Jack seeking - Jack seeking, well, to get laid before his
wedding.
The play is well enough acted by Daniel Weyman as yearning and eager-to-impress Miles, while Simon Harrison takes on the role of Jack.
But it loses the visual contrast of the film's characters. the feeling of a novelist and actor "in plain clothes" and frenzied recompense sought in wine tasting and womanizing..
Despite the clunky scene changes, (and with our
special interest TLT and her own London cadillac are always ready to go on the
road with a play! ;)), we were slightly more drawn in when we realised designer
Laura Hopkins's scenery flats were, in fact, book covers.
However this delicate and very clever touch was a little
obscured in the blunt instrument of the play. The bare bones script, although laced with some wit, becomes
ponderous stripped of the chance to delve into the Californian landscapes, sunsets and
manicured vineyards.
Emotional turning points never develop into exquisitely
fruity consequences until perhaps the last quarter of the play when a
harder-edged humour, tearing us away from the movie, makes its mark, relating
fluently with the book cover scenery and novelist success fantasy of a
middle-aged man.
But youngsters may wonder why Miles doesn't
self-publish and how come hot waitress Maya (Ellie Piercy) and tasting room
manager Terra (Beth Cordingly), who must come across any number of pretentious
fakes, would not be more suspicious of Jack and Miles.
A two-act play, this felt a tad bloated and might
well have worked better as a quicker paced
shorter piece where cash transactions, the tricksy relationship
between writer and actor - and literature and viticulture - might have made for something more
full-bodied.
Anyway, using up our quota of wine puns, it's a mellow amber
light for a volatile piece with some crisper moments.
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