Howick Little Theatre’s first production for 2023 is described as being a light-hearted play about a loving couple living in the past, but it’s much, much deeper than that.
Home, I’m Darling is written by Laura Wade and directed by Carleena Walsh.
It centres on British couple Johnny and Judy, who clearly love each other and enjoy their simple but quirky lives.
Johnny, played by the witty Mark Snoad, is a slightly bewildered property valuer, while Judy is a devoted housewife who makes him dinner, pours him drinks, and even puts on his slippers when he gets home.
Judy is a “picture-perfect 1950s housewife”, but she and Johnny live not in the 1950s but in the present day.
They dress in clothing from the past and their home is furnished with period-correct furniture.
It’s only when Judy pulls out a modern electronic device that the audience realises things are not as they seem.
Judy is played by the talented Joanne Lindsay in what is possibly one of the most impressive individual performances seen at the theatre in years.
She has strong emotional and comedic chops and is on stage for the entirety of the three-hour play.
The first crack in the facade of the couple’s relationship appears when Judy’s empathetic friend Fran, played by Ruth Edgar, sees Johnny at a local pizza restaurant with a mystery woman.
That’s the first thread that once pulled begins to unravel Judy and Johnny’s seemingly perfect lives.
The play’s small but stellar cast is completed by Richard de Luca as Fran’s partner Marcus, Judy Rankin as Judy’s mother Sylvia, and Senica Calder as Johnny’s boss Alex.
Johnny feels pressure to increase his income so he’s a better provider to Judy, who knows more about the couple’s precarious financial position than she’s letting on.
Johnny’s wandering mind reveals his wife would rather be ignorant than deal with reality, while Judy is faced with her own uncomfortable emotional issues caused by Marcus.
As the people around them question their choice to live in the past, Judy receives a strong wake-up call from her mother as Sylvia explains what life was actually like for women in the 1950s.
Her stern monologue sets the stage for a dramatic conclusion lightened with hilarious dancing and frivolity.
Home, I’m Darling delves into themes including feminism, sexism, power imbalances, workplace relationships, and the nostalgic idealisation of the post-war era.
It’s a play that will make its audience think, laugh, smile, and possibly even shed a tear or two.
Home, I’m Darling
Directed by Carleena Walsh
Howick Little Theatre, 1 Sir Lloyd Drive, Pakuranga
Season: Until March 18, shows at 8pm, with a 2pm matinee on March 5.
