Betty! A Sort of Musical
Betty Boothroyd: Member of Parliament, Labourite, first (and only!) female speaker of the House of Commons, and defiant Northern Lass. The brand new “sort of musical” from the Royal Exchange celebrates this political stalwart in a kitsch play-within-a-play.
James Cotterill’s set design immediately grounds us in the foam-ceilinged familiarity of a village hall. That’s right, the Royal Exchange’s Christmas spectacular is framed as am-dram: an angle from which the production’s comedy value reaps infinite benefits.
We watch as the eclectic characters of the Dewsbury Players celebrate one of their own, through song, dance, and suitably festive sparkle.
Sarah Frankcom, the former Artistic Director at the Royal Exchange brings to life the brainchild of her oftentimes theatrical partner, Maxine Peake.
The script packs a punch, littered with jokes for every generation and carefully selected references for the Northern crowd. It pairs beautifully and boldly with music and lyrics by Seiriol Davies (who doubles as the flamboyant and loveable Calvin). Each song is playful and parodic. As an audience, we have absolutely no idea what the next song will bring, yet we yearn for more. With each opening note, the seemingly unenthusiastic players leap into action for a full musical bill, serving up an atmosphere that’s straight out of Blue Brothers.
The first act tells the story of Betty’s humble beginnings. The Players gain momentum and crescendoing silliness with every scene that they add to their roster. A traditional northern knees-up paves the way for high-kicking through to the cold war. Our heroine, whose shoes the cast take turns to try on, is courted by the KGB and confronted by a hilarious embodiment of Britannia herself. The show revels in shock-factor entrances and self-consciously stereotypical caricatures.
The second act catapults the Dewsbury Players from their humble am-dram sphere to the glitz, glamour, and gravitas of Parliament. The lights, set, and costumes all raise their game to keep up with the high-octane score.
The majority of the act is given over to a political fever dream, performed with insatiable energy. ‘Boothroydian Rhapsody’ is a lyrical masterpiece. The song takes us from rapping MPs to parliamentary duels in riverdance, and from 90s scene-setting raves to an encounter with a literal heavy metal bearer of the ceremonial mace - all via a set of surreal yet hilarious lyrics rife with quiche-based metaphors. The audience is in stitches of sheer disbelief.
Yet throughout this surrealist mayhem, this joyful pantomimic production carries a weighty political message. Betty Boothroyd’s story is, at its core, that of a woman’s determination to have her voice heard before it is taken away.
Towards its close, the show shifts gears once more. We transition into a much more traditional theatrical structure of long goodbyes, wherein each character is afforded their closure. Eva Scott, as Angela - the unwilling participant, is entirely endearing to the very end. Whilst Joan Kempson’s Hazel is the perfect “old git” throughout. Yet their respective endings are perhaps a little too sickly sweet for a show that supplies sarcasm with such mastery.
Maxine Peake, as Meredith Ankle, unravels her perfectly-crafted image of a wannabe theatrical lovey to offer up a poignant closing message. Having written the script (alongside Davies), it’s difficult to tell where Peake ends and Ankle begins. But, rightly so, they both take this opportunity in the spotlight to declare “Time’s Up”.
There’s politics and play-acting, sardonic cynicism alongside childlike enthusiasm, drag, dancing, and good-humoured digs. This triumphant production has the audience in fits of laughter, serving up festive joy with a thought-provoking digestif.
Catch this world premiere production at the Royal Exchange until 14th January. You won’t regret it! For tickets and more information, visit the Royal Exchange website.
Read about other productions from the Royal Exchange’s 2022 programme, like Electric Rosary.
