Sylvia - A.R Gurney

Sylvia, by A.R. Gurney is running until the 4th of June at the Burton Taylor, and is about a talking dog. Only it isn't. It is about a couple, recently moved to London, who go by the names of Kate and Greg. One afternoon, Greg (David Cochrane) finds a stray dog in the park, the eponymous "Sylvia" (Elizabeth Kiernan). He takes the doggy home, and decides to keep her, much to the dismay of his wife Kate (Celia Weinstock) who takes against the animal almost immediately. The sudden introduction of a third party places a mounting, and eventually intolerable strain on their relationship (or, perhaps more pertinently, it highlights the strains that had been present all along). The result is an amusing, if faintly absurd comedy that generally hits the right mark.

Sylvia is a rather offbeat play. One of the main characters is a dog, played by a woman in ordinary clothing, who talks, but without anybody taking note of this, or considering it in any way unusual. It actually works very well. A good part of the credit for this can go to Elizabeth Kiernan, who manages to be a strangely credible canine. Indeed it is somehow easier to believe that this perky young blonde is a dog than to believe that the other two are a married couple in their mid forties. It is a frequent difficulty with student productions that somebody in their early twenties will never be one hundred percent convincing as a forty-something in the throes of a mid-life crisis. The actors in the roles of Greg and Kate do very well, but they are unmistakably young.

In addition to the three principles, there are also a number of minor characters. Greg finds company in the shape of fellow dog-owner Tom (Will Forbes), while Kate is roundly embarrassed by Sylvia's treatment of her friend Phyllis (Joanna Keith). Towards the end of the play, the couple visit the marriage guidance counsellor Leslie (Keith again).Although these characters do not carry the weight of the production, they provide the majority of the big laughs. The ambiguously-gendered Leslie is particularly funny.

The script is well constructed, although it is at times a little heavy handed. There were one or two points when characters explicitly stated things that the audience could probably have worked out for themselves. These incidents are generally forgivable, however, since they usually make contextual sense. Whilst on the subject of the script, it is probably worth pointing out that the play contains strong language (there is a notice to this effect outside the theatre); Sylvia herself is particularly foul mouthed.

As always, the important question is "should I spend my time and money on this play." As with most BT productions, tickets are only a fiver, and for your money you get a genuinely original comedy, performed by an enthusiastic student cast. It is funny, and quite sweet in its way. It is probably unsuitable for young children, for reasons of language, but otherwise it is definitely worth a look.
--
   By the time you swear you're his,
     Shivering and sighing,
   And he vows his passion is
     Infinite, undying -
   Lady, make a note of this:
     One of you is lying.

     - Dorothy Parker